Destinys Descent:Talisman of a Serpent with a Kiss
by SealedWithaKiss
Summary: Katrina Mongroe knew she was different. Draco Malfoy knew he was under pressure to live up to his family name. Little did they know that two worlds will soon become one, through pain, loss, and, most surprisingly, love. DM/OC pairings.
1. In the Searcher's eye

The first book from The Destiny's Descent: Talisman of Serpent with a Kiss

Hello reader to get yourself in tune with your imagination, the Prologue would be great if you read it whilst listening to some Tribal music, as this is what would of been played during the nights in the land of Hentrai, as a ritual to the Mountains. You don't have to obviously but it will help! This story is in more of the point of view of Malfoy so enjoy! And please review; tell me if you like it! Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are not mine; they belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. (Apart from some characters but that is coming up later... ;)). I make no money writing this, purely a fan written story. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1

_**In the Searcher's eye, He unveils the Truth**_

_Prologue_

_In the year 6006 BM, near the Koalai Mountains in the upper most atmosphere of Hentrai, the Koalai tribe was in the middle of a one of the most fierce some and bloody battles to date. The Koalai tribe lived to protect the Sacred Mountains of Koalai from being exposed and vulnerable to outsiders who lusted after its magical healing powers and strong pure energy. The Mountains had been in balance ever since its creation and it was in tune with the nature surrounding it. The mountains conveyed its natural beauty to the land. They stood tall, with jaggered edges pointing straight into the heavens of Kalee'lee. They stood proud, violet snow kissed the tops and were hugged endlessly by thick swirling purple clouds, which lingered the Mountains in a repetitive circle. Surrounding these mountains were a thick forest of dark green pine trees, which were ridden with florescent magical creatures who would sing in there packs to the Sacred Mountains. _

_Many foreigners had roamed the land in search of the secret strong energy hidden inside the Sacred Mountains, but soon were killed by the Koalai tribe. Whoever was to disturb the peace would be battled to the death. Thousands of masked foreigners had entered the land of Hentrai, armed with wands and riding on black dead horses towards the Koalai tribe. _

_The masked intruders were lead by a dirty brown haired man, majestically dressed in black and green metal armour and bone studded gladiator sandals. He wore a sinister smirk on his face, which never seized to grow. Many thousands of Native children, women and animals were killed in the battle, the once red dusty ground now permanently marked with the blood of innocent lives, the souls returning in cries to their mother Kalee'lee. Cries and chants in the native tongue of Reinaki echoed between the harsh shouts from the masked intruders, who cruelly burnt the forest in a harsh green fire which spread from the ground until every animal was killed. After hours of duelling and hexing, the masked foreigners entered the Sacred purple Mountains, passing through countless energy fields and had disturbed the peace. The purple clouds let of a cry of thunder and rained the land with acidic flames which turned the mountains a deathly black shade. Ash scattered the grounds and destroyed most of the lands harvest, natives, waters, and creatures. No one knows how the evil intruders disturbed the peace, apart from the wise father who was dying in the chief of the tribe's arms. With his wrinkled, florescent inked skin, with black rain pelting on his body, he spoke his last words to the tribe:_

_E lauhoe mai na wa'a; i ke ka, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke ka; pae aku i ka 'aina_

It wasn't the first time that Draco had felt completely and utterly ridden with desperation and Guilt in his life. In fact, it was very common for him to feel this way, as his father had very often made him feel guilty. When he was seven, his mother, Narcissa, had invited one of her close friends from the Witches' Independency Group to come and visit herself and Draco at their summer house in a posh but remote village outside Riverstale. Draco was decked out in a familiar dark green jacket and shorts with shiny gold plated rounded buttons, which trellised from the front of his shorts to the top of the jacket, with two on either side of his shoulders.

In his tiny, pale white hand, he had a small brown and blue speckled dragon's egg, which his father had given him from a 'friend' he had met on his travels through Reyland forest. The dragon, who he had named ' Qyeus', was due to be hatching that day at around six o'clock, depending if the sun was hot enough to mimic the climate in Reyland, and to support the dragon out of its thick shell.

Mothers friend, Bertila Mongroe, wearing her trade mark magical creature boa and pointed green glasses, had brought along her daughter, who was a deeper complexion to her mother and looked slightly older than Draco, even though she was a couple of months younger than him. Draco, who was playing in a sandpit which was once a hole made when his father was duelling one of his former friends in an angry rage, had looked up to see what was blocking his sunlight- the girl. She stood there, her mouth slightly ajar, with whispers of thin hair hung loosely over her face, looked straight into Draco's eyes, which were golden due to the six o'clock sun. He, on the other hand, wasn't as inviting, and gave her his soon-to-be famous tensed lips and scrunched eyes look.

"Hello, you're Draco? I'm,-"

"I don't care."

"Oh – she stuttered, looking down at the frills of her red dress, "what's that in your hand? Can I see?"

Draco, who was displaying the egg quite proudly to the sun before she blocked it, quickly took his right hand from behind him onto the egg while twisted his body away from the curious girl.

"No. You can't. Now leave me-"

"I have a pet dragon too! Do you want to see? He is shy but I think he will like your dragon!" After she had patted her red pocket of her summer frock, the girls' dragon had leapt out of the pocket, giving a small cough of smoke and a spark of a flame in response. As soon as the red dragon, Tomailious, felt that he was exposed, he tumbled into the darkest corner of the sandpit, with tail and ears pointed unproudly towards to floor.

"Uh oh! See! I told you! What is yours cal-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Draco raged, standing up on the warm sand and walking with heavy breath towards her in angry strides. Unknowingly to Draco, he had walked straight against the girl's shoe, causing him to fall in heap on the floor with arms open to protect the egg- but it was too late. It flew from his sweaty palm, and landed onto the ground was a mighty crack- Qyeus was dead.

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID, MUDBLOOD!" Draco shouted once he was standing to face her, his snowy complexion turning a shade of pink and eyes swelling with an unhealthy mix of tears, sadness and rage.

"I, I'm sorry, bu- but y-you fell over me...I didn't-"

"DRACO!" shouted Lucius, who had just returned from work at the Ministry. He stormed over, with his greasy yellow-stained locks flowing harshly in the wind.

"What in Merlin's name is- OH!" Lucius eyed the broken blue mess splattered on the heated ground

"What did you do you filthy little HALF BLOOD!!!" screamed Lucius, but the girl was already in tears and running towards her mother. Lucius eyed the small hopeless miniature dragon in the corner.

"Kill it." Draco looked up at his father, eyes widened by the request his father had given him. Draco loved squishing little bugs to small pieces, but never, ever, would he touch a Dragon. He loved them too much, as his bedroom would suggest. Lucius had given him quick shake of the head towards the direction of the dragon, wanted him to go there. The dragon stood there, shaken with fear, and looked up reluctantly at Draco, with his fire whisky coloured eyes. He just couldn't do it. Draco looked Lucius straight in the eye, and softly, half asserted but half shyly, shook his head.

"Hmm, Lucius purred, "She killed something of yours and you can't get your revenge? Do you want to be a Malfoy? You disgrace me." Lucius had narrowed his eyes as he spat he last words to Draco, before turning his back to him and watching him walk away.

It was silly, he knew, to remember such a time in his life. But ever since that moment, he vowed to himself that he will try to be a Malfoy to his father's standards. But he failed him again.

He just couldn't kill Dumbledore.

"Stupid fucking Dragon" Draco spat, being knocked back into reality harshly by a loud knocking on his blackened oak doors. "Draco darling, are you going to be ready to go soon? We're apparting to Hogsmeade in about an hour" Draco looked up at his ageing mother with tired drunken eyes, before staring back into his dark turquoise stained trunk. "Yes, nearly done mother" Draco replied with a croaky voice, before Narcissa gave Draco a saddened smile and closed the door.

Although, this was far from the truth. Draco was definitely not ready to return to Hogwarts for the seventh year. He knew that everyone had assumed that Snape was the one that was planning to kill Dumbledore, even though it was Draco, and anyone who thought otherwise was quickly charmed by Snape's trusty assistant, Wormtail- well, apart from the three 'heroes' Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

In all honestly, he should of felt great, returning to Hogwarts with a clean slate, his usual enemies had cleared off to find and destroy Voldemort, and he could just carry on as normal. But the heavy clouds of guilt never seem to pass. He had failed his father. Again. Not even his father; his whole family name.

He dragged a heavy hand across his dark blonde stubble whilst giving himself a harsh look in the somewhat repulsive to him perfect silver and gold laced mirror.

"You can do this, M boy" He whispered to himself, before staring onto his blackened oak chest of doors, as he knew this was a sentence his father used to say to him; what he said be saying to him now.

Grabbing a silver plated Gargoyle razor, he quickly soaped his rough jaw and dragged the razor harshly across his cheeks, top lip, and chin and Adams apple. He lifted up his chin towards to ceiling, and continued to drag the razors up along his neck. He began to go faster. And faster. He shut his eyes so tightly he began to see sparks in the darkened haze, and warm streams of tears fell in-between the contours of the tight skin and he made little outbursts of noise. He wasn't just shaving- he was shaving away the top layer of guilt, regret, away from him. It was some-what therapeutic to him- it was what he needed. He continued this until he went over his Adams apple again and dragged a little too much- causing him to tear the skin and shriek.

"" STUPID THING!" he yelled, and kicked the chest of doors as hard as he could, and stumbled to the ground in a hot mess of tears and sticky blood. His father's jewellery goblet had smashed on the ground in the sudden quake, and rolled underneath Draco's grey Chateau sofa. Typical. He had kicked that thing so hard but the only thing that fell was something of his Father's. A million galleons worth of jewellery lied scattered on the floor- hornets silver necklace, a few beads from his travels with the Ministry, mud stained rubies, serpent trellised cuffs and hawk brooches from the Elizabethan wizarding era. But something else was there. Something that Draco had never seen before. It was packaged roughly in silver rough paper, wrapped around tightly in dark green string. Draco stared at this for a while with his right hand caressing his red torn neck, and wondered what on earth this could be. He looked around the room, making sure he was definitely alone, and reached for the suspicious package. He took the package in between his teeth and jerked his head fiercely backwards to break the string.

With his free left hand, he shook the silvered wrappings until the hidden prize had fallen out. Quickly, the chain had begun falling into the widened cracks of the floorboard, so, extinctively; he quickly slammed his right hand over it, leaving a smear of blood on the chain. He picked it up held it to his candle-lit chandelier - It was a necklace. It had a dangling gem attached to it. This was covered by a cold, rusted silver frame, beautifully hand crafted with small precise details. In the middle was a beautiful marbled turquoise stone, which had a piece missing from it in the right hand side. On the back, had some sort of scripted drawings, which were outlined by blackened ink. It looked marvellous, apart from the chip.

"Mm, I wonder why father kept this piece of junk" Draco said with a grin, seeing his reflection in the gem as he dangled it above his head. He opened the old-fashioned hook from the back and placed it around his neck. The gem fell in-between Draco's opened white shirt, and lay just on his heart.

"Mm, suits you Malfo-"

"Draco, darling, were leaving now. Get your trunk"

* * *

_authors notes: BM- Before Merlin_

_Kalee'lee- Spirits in Reinaki language (made up)_

Please review; I really want to know if you like it, I have lots of ideas for this story and it would be a waste to write it if nobody likes it! Trust me, there's loads to come...mwahaha! Thank you for reading!


	2. The Raven

Chapter 2

_**The Ravens Beauty**_

As the last of the sun settled between the mountains, Hogwarts never seemed so inviting. Hundreds of first years said goodbye to their parents and made their long journey up towards the historic Castle, laughing and playing with their newly made friends. Draco could only wish he could feel like that. Instead, looking up at the grey building, he could see Dumbledore falling from the top floor; over, and over again. His tired eyes started to sting with emotions, so he wisely thought he would walk his way up towards Hogwarts, rather than taking the carriages. The path towards the castle had never been so long; he's walked through it so many times before but this seemed to go on forever. The owls were hooting loudly from the old trees that stretched tall over the dark path, and the noises were rattling against Draco's eardrum as they started to get louder. Draco turned his slow pace into a nervous walk and faces of Dumbledore were everywhere, plastered on the trees, the ground, the path, the night sky, the-

"DRACO!" A loud but distant voice came from behind Draco and he recognised the voice as Pansy Parkinson's; his girlfriends. Pansy ran towards him, in her black, grey and green Slytherin uniform, and her green and purple eyes firm on Draco's face.

"Didn't you hear me? I've been calling your name for the past ten minutes!" said Pansy, panting hard from running, a sound Draco was familiar with.

"Oh, Err, no...no I didn't" said Draco quickly, not concentrating on her. "Have you been crying? Pansy asked "your eyes are red and puffy"

"No... These bloody flies keep flying into my eyes...stupid flies" said Draco, rubbing his eyes to make sure she got the point.

"Oh...well never mind, Pansy said playfully, and took his hands from his eyes, "Come here then"

Pansy, on her tip toes, pulled Draco by the neck to her awaiting plum lips. Draco placed his hands loosely around her middle, his eyes slowly closed, not in pleasure, but in pain.

"Ow!" Draco pushed Pansy away from him, holding his neck tightly.

"What's wrong Draco?" Pansy asked with confused eyes, "Did I hurt you?"

"No, my neck is...is sensitive right now" Draco stroked his Adams apple "I hurt it during shaving" This was true, of course, but he also didn't really feel like kissing Pansy right now.

"Right, okay... so how come you didn't write to me?" Pansy asked with a smile of her face, the smile Draco is familiar with when she is actually very angry, "I wrote to you nearly every day."

"I didn't get them" Draco lied, "I wasn't at home most nights."

The truth was that Draco did get those letters, each sprayed with some of her Wellaberry perfume, which she knew he liked, but he never replied. He didn't want to. He found her slightly annoying and obsessive at most times, and after the worst summer of his life, he didn't feel the need to respond to her needy letters.

They both continued to walk up the path, with Pansy carrying his case against his will, until they reached the beautiful candle-lit school. The caretaker, who was awaiting their arrival as they were both horrendously late, checked their trunks and escorted them to the Great Hall.

As the solid oak doors opened wide, a hideous memory flooded his brain- his aunt, Bellatrix, madly running down the tables and destroying the historic stain glassed windows. He gulped as Pansy grabbed him by the sleeve and took him to their reserved seats in the middle of the Slytherin table.

"Where have you been?" said Blaise, raising his cut eyebrow, "been kanoodling in the woods, I'm guessing?"

Pansy chuckled and stroked the acid blonde locks that fell on his neck "Well, you know us-"

"No" said Draco coldly, "We just took a slow walk up from the station, that's all"

Pansy gave Draco a cold look and quickly removed her hand from the back of his neck.

30 minutes passed, and the Great Hall was buzzing with laughter and gossiping and eating all at once. Crabbe and Goyle were telling the rest of the table of the day that they beat up a third year Gryffindor for not giving them his warlock chain. As the rest of the table were dying of laughter, Draco glared at the empty gold and red throne that Dumbledore should be sitting on, his eyes burning with the over-glare. After a couple of minutes, he could have sworn he saw an outline of Dumbledore nodding and smiling at him. His body started to tremble slightly and his breathing got faster.

"Draco" Pansy said with a hand full of grapes, "are you okay?"

"Yeah" Draco responded with a shaky jaw, "I'm just...cold"

"Here, this will warm you up" Pansy filled his goblet with pumpkin juice and fire whisky.

"ATTENTION, HOGWARTS" the Great Hall fell silent "MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION!"

Professor McGonagall stood from the staff table and swiftly walked over to the golden stand. She clasped her hands and nervously glared over the hall.

"Good Evening students, and Welcome to another year at Hogwarts" Professor McGonagall started "Now, as you all know, our dear and wonderful Head Master Albus Dumbledore tragically passed away last year" She cleared her throat as a cover to hold back tears, "And he had told me if anything was to go wrong, I was to take his place, and I proudly accepted. I am your new Head Mistress, Professor McGonagall". The Hall clapped and wooted apart from the middle section of Slytherin table.

"Now then, as you all know, every year we get new first year students, but this year, we also have a three new seventh year students to join us in Hogwarts"

All the seventh years turned to each other and started talking about who they hope to join them.

"Welcome, Bernie Artwraight, Melissa De Silva and Katrina Mongroe"

The hall started to clap as two of three names called stood up and smiled across the mass of people in the Great Hall.

"Katrina Mongroe? Where are you?" said the new Head Mistress. Most of the students stopped clapping and looked around for a new face.

Suddenly, the heavy oak doors opened wide and a young Witch stood there.

Silence fell across the room as the new comer began to walk down the hall in-between the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables.

Draco lifted his head slowly from his arms, wanting to know what the silence was about.

His face suddenly lost all feeling, his expression laid blank on his face. His mouth dried and his stomach pained like someone had just punched him. His eyelids softly flattered up and down, but his gaze never left her eyes.

Long, wavy midnight hair fell seductively from the top of her head the small of her back, and bounced lightly as it tapped her womanly hips as she walked. A few white flowers were tussled in her hair, which fragranced the room with a sweet scent of the gardens. Deliciously warm chestnut coloured big eyes complimented her caramel skin. On her sweetheart shaped face laid a delicate pair of pink lips, which opened slightly, making them inviting as they glistened in the floating candles. As she walked slowly with her hourglass frame, the slight curves of her breasts were exposed over her partially opened white school shirt. Her black pleated school skirt lay firmly on her broad hips, and her long legs moved swiftly underneath it. Just above her bottom, a faint outline of some sort of shape was imprinted there; just like a tattoo. She had a classic uniform on, white shirt, skirt, knee high socks and flat black shoes; but she looked different in it, somehow, as if she had made this outfit to wear to school that day.

As she walked near the middle of the Slytherin table, she caught the glare of a shaggy haired boy staring at her with wide grey eyes. Nothing had told her to look at him; she just felt an urge to look his direction, like she was forced to by a power higher than her. Her cheeks flushed a shade of peach as she glared back into the iris of his eyes, and she felt herself swimming in the pools of grey. This only lasted a moment; but the moment lasted forever. Pansy, fully aware of this stare, stiffly placed her hand on his shoulder; as if to own her property. The beautiful Witch saw this out of the corner of her eye as she was currently still swimming, and quickly turned her gaze back at Professor McGonagall.

"Why hello there, and, which of the three are you?" McGonagall questioned, holding the worn brown sorting hat tightly in her wrinkled grip.

"Katrina Mongroe, Madam"

Her voice sounded even better than what Draco could ever imagine.

"Well, Miss Mongroe, welcome to Hogwarts" McGonagall started," Now, if you please, sit down in this chair and we will proceed with your sorting"

Soft whispers fell amongst the students of Hogwarts as the hat was placed on her head. Artwraight was already sorted into Hufflepuff and De Silva into Ravenclaw.

"Hmm" The weathered hat proceeded, "Oh, this is very interesting, very interesting indeed Miss Mongroe. You have the intensions of a snake, Miss Mongroe"

Katrina tensed her eyebrows under this allegation. " Ha, not to worry, I don't mean now, Miss Mongroe" The hat started again, " but you have a heart of a Lion, a strong powerful heart, I see, and.. Ahhhhhhh" The hats tone lowered at this point, "you have a powerful history, Miss Mongroe, history, to repeat itself, so to speak, oh how VERY interesting!" The hat jiggled on Katrina's warm head, and croakily whispered in her ear"The serpent is very important, Katrina, VERY, important"

Katrina shuffled uncomfortably in her chair, not understanding a word of what this mad hat was saying; maybe he was just getting old.

"And with that said, better be... GRYFFINDOR! "

The middle table shot up from their creaking benches and applauded the newest house member of Gryffindor. The Head Mistress gave her Katrina's Gryffindor jumper and cloak, and proudly placed the gold and red tie around her neck. As Katrina walked down to her table with a small smile on her face, she glanced back to the enchanting blonde who sat across from her, and their eyes met once again, but soon to be disrupted as Pansy whispered seductive promises in his ear.

"And now, TO FEAST!" The table lit up with freshly cooked food, candles, fruit, jellies, candied apples and other delicious treats.

In the middle of the table sat Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Winnie Qualead and Rochesca Trivly.

"Hey lovely" called Finnigan from across the table, with a massive grin on his face, "fancy sitting down wit' us? We'll make room for ya"

Winnie and Rochesca parted and tapped the bench in-between them, Katrina slid in, fully knowing that the blonde was just behind her, against the wall.

"I'm Seamus, and this is Neville" Seamus nudged him.

"Oh, er, erm, h-h-hi" Neville spluttered.

"Neville, stop being such a nervous wreck!" Katrina and the girls beside her let out a small giggle before he returned back to Katrina. "So, where you from gorgeous?"

Katrina felt herself turn peach again. "Oh, well, I grew up in France, in a small village in Vaucluse" Katrina began fiddling with her thumbs, "it's not in the wizarding world, and so you probably haven't heard of it"

"Stop flirting, Seamus" two voices laughed from across the room. Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, Luna Lovegood and Susan Bones squeezed in-between the boys, while Luna kissed Neville on the cheek, making him go at bright red as the Piffigrum plant he was holding.

"I'm Cho, and these are my friends Susan, Lavender and Luna"

Luna was too busy stroking the ends of Neville's hair too even realise her name was called.

Katrina gave them a cute smile and wave before they all settled down to eat their meal and get to know one another.

_**Sunday, September 24**__**th**__**, Autumn Term at Hogwarts**_

"Oi Katrina, you coming down for breakfast?" shouted Finnigan from the bottom of the girl's dormitory.

"Yes, I'll be there in a second!" She quickly brushed her thick black hair before combing it with her fingertips, and put on her brand new Gryffindor outfit for the first time.

The hall sounded exactly the same as the night before, but the fragrance of bacon and eggs filtered the air through every corridor. The giggling sextets rushed towards the hall in order to catch the last of the mouth watering breakfast that was awaiting them, and brushed through the oak doors to find their seats. Katrina, whose memory was still flooded of the night before, glanced over at the Slytherin table, to find that the blonde was not there, nor anywhere else in the room.

After breakfast, Cho and the girls rushed off to see the notice board on the fifth floor, leaving Katrina with Seamus and Neville who were walking to the grounds. Katrina felt the chill of the outside shiver through her body, and her sight was blinded by glossy hair falling in front of her eyes in between her open lips. Her chill soon disappeared by the heat of Seamus's arm over her shoulder.

She could see a few Ravenclaw's practising for their next Quiditch game high up in the sky, when suddenly they turned their direction and zoomed past Katrina, which made her giggle.

"Do you want to be on the Quiditch team?" Seamus started, his breath smelling of fried eggs, "you look like you have the body to pull it off" He winked at her suggestively, which, again, made her go peachy.

"I could give it go" Katrina retorted in her sweet humble voice.

The trio walked towards the Quiditch pitch, being greeted by a mixture of witches and wizards dressed in royal red cloaks and brown safety gear, each holding vintage broomsticks.

"You fancy giving it a go eh?" Said William Wood, Oliver Wood's brother, in his strong but attractive Scottish accent. The shy witch responded by giving her small smile and tensed her shoulders towards her ears, cutely.

"Okay, were up against Slytherin in a bit" Wood twirled his old broomstick, "you think you can handle that?"

"Of course she can, half of the team will be knocked off their broomsticks just looking at her" Seamus pulled Katrina close to him, "they won't stand a chance".

" Actually" Wood began, " we've been forced to wear these helmets this year, all part of new safety regulations, you know, ever since Dumbledore died, they've tightened a lot of rules. We only have to wear them when the winds strong like today". All of the team reluctantly put on their brown helmets which completely covered their faces and waited for the other team.

With that said, a gang of tall Slytherin's walked towards them, already decked out in their green and silver uniforms and brown helmets.

"You ready to be crushed, Stiffwood?" snarled a covered Slytherin.

"Do not call me Stiff wood." retorted William, fists clenching in his rage.

"Right, enough of this, let's just go and play" called another Gryffindor.

"Hold on, were waiting for someone else to come" retorted the horrid Slytherin.

Moments later, a tall and thin wizard stumbled over, rubbing holding his right arm tightly. "Let's go kill these Gryffindor's" the wizard muffled under his helmet.

The game started off well, and the bludger didn't seem to be very active today, was great for both teams as it allowed them to potential to gain more points. The winds worsened throughout the game, and only seemed to be getting even worse, as thick grey clouds from the surrounding mountains carried themselves over the fresh but damp air. After twenty minutes, the points were equal for both teams, and as the game was coming to an end, Wood called for a time out.

" Okay guys, it's the last ten minutes in the game, and we're even with those snakes" Wood panted to the rest of the loyal Gryffindor's, " the only way we can win is if we can catch the snitch, and seeing as Harry isn't here anymore-"

"I'll do it" Katrina responded, rubbing her frozen hands together as she has been sitting out on the benches during the game.

**Oh, did I say that out loud?**

It seemed the frost had frozen her thought process as well.

"Yeah, go on Kat, you can do it" replied Finnigan, copying her rubbing hands action and nudging her with his shoulder.

Madam Hooch raised her hand in the air, and with the other, blew her whistle as loud as she could. The game had restarted.

Katrina slowly but surely levitated with her broomstick until it was at the same height as the scoring hoops. The wind had knocked her off balance a couple of times, but got used to the sensation after a while. The clouds began rolling thunder and the blackness of the pitch was almost blinding to every player. The wooden stools were full of cold but determined fans as they bellowed words and names to the crowd. The last five minutes in the game, with other wizards and witches zooming passed her; she saw a quick flick of golden lights at the eyed of her eye- the snitch. With all her might, she turned her body towards the glittering ball and chased after it, the wind stabbing her frozen skin with needles of frost. The higher she went into the atmosphere, the darker it got, the quieter the cheering sounded and the harder the rain sounded against her thick helmet and robes. Katrina, whose hand was turning a disturbing shade of blue, held out her left hand, just as she had seen in Quiditch games before, and lunged her body forward to try and catch the quick little golden ball. Cutting through the clouds of angry thunder, she could hear the faint sounds of a broomstick getting louder and more distinctive behind her. She turned her head and saw that a wizard in green was approaching her to try and catch the snitch and claim victory. Against the powerful shove of the wind, the Slytherin brushed against the Gryffindor, and the Gryffindor brushed against the Slytherin in retaliation. The masked Slytherin and Gryffindor nudged and grunted at each other as hard as they could, causing broomsticks to crack and arms to bruise in pain. The higher they got, the less light they could see, and they didn't even realise that the snitch had zoomed off in another direction; but the pair still continue to fight. They clawed at each other's uniform and tried to scar any available flesh that was visible. Angrily, the wizarding pair grabbed each other's sport uniforms, while hooking the Slytherin's broomstick on top of the Gryffindor's. Under the rolling blackened clouds, the pair was descending 100's of feet towards the ground, both soaked by the pelting rain, but still ripping each other's frost bitten flesh. The speed was increasing, and the field below got clearer and clearer. The Slytherin saw the meshed grass below and pulled his broomstick upwards, not knowing that it was tangled with the Gryffindor's, causing them to shake uncontrollably. Their bonded broomsticks crashed on the floor, sending the pair flying onto the muddy wet field, still rolling in anger and grunting like animals. The Gryffindor pinned down the Slytherin by his blood soaked wrists, and could feel his angry heartbeat pulsing though his veins beneath her grip. They both shook their heads wildly as the Slytherin struggled to get up, and caused their battered helmets to splash into a puddle beside them.

They were both so close that their noses were almost touching, and their panting fell into each other's mouths, warming and make their faces tingle. The panting slow down as they looked deep into each other's eyes; Katrina was on top of Draco.

Forgetting the pain that they were in for a brief moment, Draco looked at her face, which had beads of sweat falling from her forehead onto his. Her nose trickled with dark red blood, curving under the bridge of her nose until it met her quivering bruised mouth.

_**Merlin, she looks so good.**_

Katrina looked at his face, which was on fire with redness from the frustrated battle in the air; with parts of his moon coloured hair stuck unto his vein popping forehead with sweat and heat, the other parts laid mangled between blades of grass and its sticky black mud.

**He's so gorgeous.**

"Katrina? Katrina? You okay? Where are you?" a distant voice called out from beyond the mist. Katrina pushed herself up from Draco, reluctantly, and began to hop over into the direction of the voices, leaving a battered and bruised Draco, pushed up his elbows, to watch her slowing struggle to walk away from him.

Katrina was met by a group of worried students, before kindly ignoring them and headed straight for the castle. "Darlen' do ya need some help wit' getting up the stairs?" called Finnigan.

"No, I just want to be alone, thanks" and she walked to the castle and began her journey to the 7th floor restriction section.

Malfoy, who was walking on the 7th floor restriction section as well, heard her suck the air sharply between her teeth because of pains travelling up from her leg. He was just about to turn the corner, so he hid behind it, only slowly turning his head around to see her. He had no idea why he was hiding like this, like a child, but he didn't want her to see him; he felt bad enough as it is. The footsteps stopped, and Draco didn't see where she went; so he proceeds to stiffly walk over to the Forgotten Baths. In all places of the whole world, it was Draco's best place to be. No one went there anymore, after rumours that a student was drowned there by Moaning Myrtle, although this was a just a rumour. Draco went here every night, as it was the only place he left safe; the only place were just didn't feel judged; the only place in which he didn't have to be a Malfoy; just Draco. He would spent hours inhaling the musky scents of bubbles and bath salts and looking at the Three Pixies in the stain glass mirror who would silently giggle and try to see something of his if the bubbles had popped.

He walked towards his beloved bathroom and walked in; but was startled by a sweet humming noise coming from deeper within. In a panic, Draco quickly hid behind the changing wall, stepping onto dampen towels.

He looked round to see who was there; it was Katrina. The bath was gently filling up with water, and the bubbles grew bigger and more colourful after every ounce of hot water. Katrina was humming a sweet tune, and began to take of her muddied robes, boots and socks. Then, with two hands she pulled off her vest, releasing her chest. She had her back to Draco, who watched the toned muscles in her gently move under her caramel skin. She did the same to her trousers and underwear, and carefully kicked them off her feet with pointed toes. She resembled a statue, gently curved to perfection, but she was better; she was real. With her right foot first, she tipped her toes into the water, testing the temperature, making sure it was hot enough to soothe her aching muscles. She stepped into the bath, and ran her fingers through her hair, until white flower petals fell from her midnight locks and snuggled between the mountains of bubbles. Her skin glistened with sweat as her body infused with the steam from the bath, fogging the windows and causing her to pant a little. Her wavy hair curled little by little by this comforting heat, until it was deliciously curly. She tied her hair into a loose bun on her head, with a few wispy hairs laid cemented to her warm skin by sweat. Her body glistened in the candle light, and Draco almost fell over in the sight. Katrina heard a noise and froze; and with that, he quickly left the doors of the baths and began to return to his Dorm, his mind racing with the thoughts of the Raven beauty.


	3. Desire of the Embrace

Chapter 3

_**Desire of the Embrace**_

"Do you have to look so miserable of the time?" Pansy asked, wiping a smudge of jam off Draco's sleeve.

Draco flinched under Pansy's touch, and then dragged his nails across the wooden table.

"I'm just tired, that's all" Draco sighed, pressing his right temple with a long finger, "I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Do you want me to come join you?" questioned Pansy, twirling her short black fridge on her finger.

"Erm" Draco started, pondering the idea of having some company that he desperately needed, "no, actually, I think I will be alright, thank you"

Draco shot up from this bench and left the great hall, which was filled with the noise of rustling morning papers. Pansy, still munching on the last of her crumpet, followed him through the corridors and grabbed him hard by the shoulder.

"Come on, baby, we haven't been together in so long" Pansy pouted, "Can't we just spend a little itsy bitsy time together?"

"Look, Pansy, I'm just really tired, I haven't had much sleep at all these past two weeks since I've been at bloody Hogwarts." Draco slid his wand into his inner jacket pocket. "I just want some decent sleep alright?"

Pansy crunched her face tightly and scowled. "No, Draco, you've been up in your bedroom moping all bloody week and I'm getting sick of it, why won't you spend any time with me? What have I done?

"It's not about you, Pansy-"

"Then who is it then, huh? Is it my uncle? O-or my father? Because if they have been pestering you about the money then I promise, I will-"

"It's not about you OR your bloody family." Passing students stared at the angry couple who were storming upstairs to the Slytherin common room.

"Mind you, can you please tell your money-grabbing family of yours to stop hassling for money" Draco spat, "My father is very ill and you would think a family with such magnificent brains like yours would realise that this is the WRONG time to be writing such demanding letters to us."

"Well, excuse me for wanting us to know if you're in the business deal or not" They pushed passed a crowd of first years, "They are just trying to seal the deal with you Malfoys."

"Don't say my name is such a derogatory manner, _Parkinson" _Draco scowled, "It's not as if you can't find another filthy rich family to sign with, _Draggotis_" They stopped by the door passage as it swung open, leading them straight into the dark green decorated common room.

" Well, anyway, this still doesn't solve the mystery of you being all gloomy 24/7" Pansy threw herself onto Draco's favourite armchair, and gently stroked the dark green leathered arm, " which is why I'm suggesting we spent a little time together, you know" she kicked off her shoes onto the black shaggy rug, " a little private time".

Draco pushed his arms out to hold himself up against the grey stone wall, his hair glimmering in the warm glow of the green tinted fire.

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't feel like it tonight" his voice started to quiver slightly.

Pansy sighed, not to upset Draco even further. " Fine, I will be in class if you need me" She walked over and tried to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned away from her, leaving her to kiss the warm air, and stormed out of the common room with her books pressed hard against her chest.

As soon as he heard the door shut, he slid his body down from the cold stone wall and fell into a pile of insecurities on the floor. The face of Dumbledore has been haunting him for two weeks; in every mirror that he looked in, on every shining floor that he stepped on, in every school cauldron; he could see his face. His face wasn't angry, nor was it sad. Dumbledore seemed worried, concerned. The great wizard would bow his head low, peeping over his crescent shaped spectacles and raising his eyebrows questionably at Draco. What could this mean? Why was he seeing these faces? Why wouldn't they just go away and leave him to peace? Draco knew one thing; the ghostly images were driving him insane. He had lost so much weight from not eating much at all, and he was taking freezing cold showers to try and wake him up every morning and freeze the ghostly image from his mind forever.

His face started to quiver and a stream of warm tears poured from eyes, stinging his tender eyelids and neck. He hit the window with his right arm, causing him to yell out in pain. He gently pulled up his sleeve; to reveal his Dark Mark. It was still swollen and inflamed from the night before the Quiditch game, when he started to scratch and run his sharpened quill over the deathly black Mark until his flesh started to weep uncontrollably. His tears where seeping into the bloodied cuts in his arms, causing his to cry harder. He took a deep breath to try and calm his pain, and, suddenly losing all feeling in his body, slumped to the corner of the room, hitting his head against the window pane.

The angle that he was in made the contents of his pockets scatter across the floor; his wand, a note from Pansy, a quill, some charmed alcoholic boiled sweets and his father's hidden necklace. He hadn't worn that thing since the first day of school. It laid there in-between the blades of black wool of the shaggy rug, glistening innocently in the gentle flickers of the fire. He picked it up by chain, which still had a stain of Draco's dark red blood, and throw it high in the air and caught it by the beautiful turquoise gem. He sniggered, and wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve, and held the chain tight in his hand.

Faint sounds of giggling leaked through the cracks in the window, so he turned his sore head to look painfully out of the tall window. He could see the clean cut grass below and hundreds of students lying down on the lawn; some having a picnic with friends underneath apple trees, others mucking about with their classmates with harmless spells.

In the corner, he could see a black figure in the magical flowering bed. Not noticing this black figure before, he gazed harder. The mysterious black figure swiftly swished its head to one side; letting its hair flow down the opposite side of its body. He soon realised the foreign object was not this at all; but the new Gryffindor, Katrina.

Sweat glossed her caramel skin underneath the noon sun, reminiscent to the night in the top floor baths. You could tell she had been working hard, as her glossy hair stuck to her arms and her neck was pulsing with fast breaths; but her face remained to look perfect. Even with smudges of mud on her brow from where she had wiped her wrist across it; even the way her hair was tangled across her sun kissed ears; even the way her mascara had smudged down her eyes; she still held her beauty and made Draco's heart fill with the soul a thousand poets.

Draco, whose acid blonde fridge was nestling on top of his baby blue eyes, lingered his eyes across her delicate frame for only seconds before she turned her face up to his; her mouth slightly parted with the smallest line of dried mud nestled on her bottom lip. As soon as she reached his eyes, his heart felt like it sank to the bottom of his curled toes, and he could feel himself getting redder under her goblet of warm chocolate gaze. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and Draco caught the butterflies in his stomach.

Seamus, carrying his Quiditch Strategy book, walked through the wild moving flowers, whose tentacles where wiping him slightly, and took a thick finger and brushed the mud away from her plump lip, causing her to break the connection between herself and the handsome blonde and smiled sweetly at Seamus. He grabbed her by the hand and took her away from the overgrown plants that towered their heads and pulled her inside the cold castle.

Draco's milky relaxed face soon turned sour, his veins hardened under his skin. His hearing tightened and the sound of his racing breath was louder than a dragon roaring in his ear. Was he jealous? Was he jealous that another man laid a finger on her lip? Jealous that another man touched her hand? Jealous that another man touched her at all?

This was ridiculous, and he knew it. He had never spoken two words to the girl, had never been in the same room as her alone before and hardly ever went near each other; and besides, she was a _Gryffindor. _Father would rather have Draco's head mailed to him in a bloodied package rather than telling him he was with a _Gryffindor. _And not even that, he was in a two year relationship was Pansy Parkinson, and he knew that if he did anything to ruin the relationship, he would break the deal with their fathers; and the last thing he needed was his father to shame him again.

This was all true, but so was the fact that he _was actually jealous._

_**Enough.**_

He had to get her out of his head. Draco awkwardly came to his feet, cleaned his eyes with his ivory fingers, fixed his growing moon light hair, put on his cloak and hurried off downstairs to Historic Charms class.

* * *

**Monday October 9****th****, Hogwarts, Autumn Term**

"Now as you can see" professor Mulaviorvé started, tossing thick brown stray hairs from her makeup plastered face with her wand, "This charm has been around for centuries, as you can tell by the bright red glow which was a common colour of healing spells back in the day, and yes, Mr Artwraight, that does mean before the invention of cream stuffed profiteroles!"

The class chuckled, as Artwraight grinned wide to the Professor, who was waving her wand teasingly in the air, making her navy velvet dress to move. Malfoy was slouched in the corner, completely blanked out from the rest of the class, and stared continuously out of the long narrow windows.

"Right, now to perform the-"

"Sorry I'm late" Katrina walked in, bunching her black skirt at either side of her hips in her now clean hands, making it an inch shorter, " I was helping Professor Sprout weed the Wellibow's in the front lawns".

Draco couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that he spent all that time trying to rid his mind of her; and here she was, standing inches away from him, smelling like peaches and cream.

It was like the first night again, when she walked unknowingly attractively towards the front of the class, although Draco and Katrina never made eye contact this time, as he tried his hardest to conceal himself from her view completely, like a shy school boy. He bit his lip involuntarily, looking at her up and down with his now baby blue tinted eyes.

"That's quite alright Katrina, lovely to have you with us for the first time" Professor Mulaviové smiled drunkenly and, unbeknown to her, comically turned her head to the rest of the class and began again.

"Now, after my short introduction, I would like everyone to try to conduct this healing spell on this wounded Speevers" She shook her wand is the air and Speevers flew from their muddy buckets at the front of the class and landed on their desks. The Speevers, which looked awfully like the Venice trap plant, laid a pale greeny grey colour on each of their desks, their leaved curled in beneath them and their little faces made from leaves and vines were sad and droopy.

As the brown wooden Moroccan inspired classroom echoed the words _vigoratus_ to their ill Speevers, Katrina waved her wand endlessly and muttered the spell countless times, but the healing spell never sparked from her wand. This was a very rare occurrence for Katrina; as ever since she was little, she has always had a gift of helping and healing magical creatures and plants that her mother used to bring her from her travels to the wizarding world.

"You having trouble 'dere wit' it darling?" Seamus asked, also looking Katrina up and down.

Katrina jumped at the question asked to her as she was slowly slipping into a world of her own.

"Oh...Urm…Yes, I can't seem to get the charm to work" Katrina pouted her cherry lips unknowingly, forcing a smile to creep up Seamus's face.

"Lemme help ya out' dere love". Seamus stood behind Katrina and, with his right hand, held her wrist and began to copy the movements to perform the healing charm. Katrina stared at the wilting Speever plant with great sadness, wanting desperately to revitalize it and plant it in the gardens immediately.

"Oh, Finnigan move out of the way, you're doing it all wrong!" Professor Mulaviorvé cackled, bumping him away with her bony hip and copying the same position that Seamus was in. The class slowly noticed how weird this looked and started to laugh, also making their Speevers chuckle under their replenished leaves. Professor Mulaviorvé stood in this position for a number of minutes, tutting every time that not even she could perform the charm.

Malfoy, wanting so bad just to grab her, decided it was time to leave the class so he picked up his books before clumsily dropping an old red one on the floor.

"Ah, yes, Mr Malfoy, can you please help assist Miss Mongroe?"

Katrina looked over her shoulder at the tall ridiculously handsome teenager who was walking closer to her. Her heart started to flutter and her stomach felt like she swallowed thousands of Cornish pixies, and she realised that she hadn't taken a breath for more than ten seconds under the sight of this gorgeous blonde.

Draco stood beside her, half wanting to run away and half wanting to pull her close, loosely held her warm elbow under his slender ivory fingers. The night of the Quiditch match came flooding back into their memories, as that was the last time they touched. Although this time was different. They knew exactly who they were; who they were touching. Katrina shivered under the feel of his touch; which travelled through Draco, making his chest flutter. He slowly moved their arms to the movement of the charm, whilst slowly holding her arm firmer.

"oh no no no Draco, not like that! Copy what I did!" Professor Mulaviorvé walked off to look at the work of the other students of the class who were still busy performing charms.

Katrina bashfully looked onto Draco's face; which was soft and milky white and looked so silky she could just touch it. She saw the few freckles which dusted under Draco's eyes, but these were very faint, almost unnoticeable, but she could see them. She noticed that his eyes weren't the usual grey; but were a sweet baby blue colour, which she gazed at continuously, until she felt him let go of her hand to stand behind her.

Draco, who held her right arm steadily, could feel her pulse through his fingertips. It was awkward at first, and the palm of his hand began to sodden with nervousness. She wanted nothing else but for him to come close to her; so she could feel his touch in this rare experience. Luckily, her wish was about to come true. Katrina moved her hair over her left shoulder slowly, and she could feel Draco's body heat warming her back. His breath tickled the hairs on the back of her sun-kissed neck, and the front of his fridge covered the right of her face.

Draco, relishing in this delicious moment, slid his hand from her elbow to her wrist; then the wrist to her hand. Katrina almost fainted under his touch, and opened up the parts between her fingers and Draco's fingers slid in between them. She took his left hand from behind her and placed it on her hip; making his hand shiver under her touch. His head gently nestled on the perch of her neck and she drew her head back slightly. Katrina and Draco eyes were tinted crimson by the glow of the ribbon of red and orange which was delightfully spiralling out from her wand. This ribbon of health grew brighter and more colourful as it wrapped itself around the poorly Speever, and, within a couple of seconds, the Speever's leaves turned a luscious shade of hunter green, roots with thick and full of nutritional goodness, and a warm smile crept on the Speevers face.

They both smiled sweetly at the happiness that crept over the Speevers face; but secretly where smiling at this brilliant moment where it where they could touch; feel each other; connect.

"Well done Mr Malfoy!" The Professor squealed.

Draco ignored her, not intentionally, as any sounds that weren't their conjoined heartbeat were sealed off as he was still relishing in the moment with the Gryffindor.

The historic school bell rang through the classroom and the whole class left in a huddle, except for Seamus, who was leaving slowly as he was staring at the two students.

The Professor took a double look at the students, and whistled a happy tune and left the classroom lightly skipping.

The bang of the door behind the teacher made the pair jump and return back to reality; in the Moroccan incense infused classroom. They separated, and started to fiddle with their cloaks like little school children.

"I'll see ya at lunch den, Katrina" Seamus smiled at Katrina, before turning his eyes to Malfoy to give him a dirty stare and left the room. Katrina and Draco sat in an awkward silence.

"Thank you" Katrina turned to face Draco, and smiled quickly, before quickly collecting her things and heading out of the door.

"Wait" Draco said, holding her by the hand, then quickly letting go.

Draco pondered the thought of telling her how he felt and kissing her, but he pushed these thoughts aside.

"I just wanted to let you know that I am truly sorry for hurting you, on the Quiditch pitch" Draco started, staring at his feet,

_**If I had known it was you I wouldn't have even dared to hurt you,**_

"I was angry that day"

_**And if I could I would make it up to you by taking you out with me,**_

"And I hope...I really hope that you can accept my...apology" Draco had sworn to Crabbe and Goyle that if he had ever apologised to someone they had full permission to hex him, thank Merlin they weren't in his class.

Katrina, tilting her head to meet her risen right shoulder, giggled nervously "yes, I do accept, and... and... Me too, I'm sorry if...if I hurt you too"

"Me? Pffst, I don't think you could if you tried"

Katrina gave Draco a _yeah right _face, and pushed her fingers into Draco's torso. Draco sucked in the air from his teeth and held the bruise.

"Okay, well, maybe you did" Draco spluttered, exchanging a smile. They stood in silence again.

"Well, goodnight, Draco" Katrina bit her lip and left the room.

Katrina's head was swarming with the thoughts and images of Draco; his surfer hair, the way he fit into her neck, his tingling breath against her skin; the way the spaces in-between her fingers were made to be filled by Draco's. The way his-

"KATRINA!" Cho ran behind her and hugged her. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Sorry, I was just...cleaning the cauldrons" Katrina lied, tossing a raven hair from her face.

"Anyways, were all having a sleepover tonight, you, me Luna and Lavender in Lavenders dorm, do you want to come?" Cho slid Katrina a pumpkin pasty that she bought from Hogsmeade in her free period.

"I'd love to!" Katrina replied, slightly rising on her tip toes as she said that, and with that, Cho ran off, leaving Katrina to munch happily on her pumpkin pasty back to her dorm to get her things together.


	4. The Destruction of the Devotion

Chapter 4: Part One

Narcissa gripped the edge of her ill bitten husband's crisp white bed sheets between her pale tired fingers.

"Lucius, I can't do it, not again, please" Narcissa cried painfully, "It's too much, too soon, I'm begging you Lucius, please, no!" She bowed her fearsome head on her husband's black oak bed frame; her tears soaked the thin bed cover underneath her pleading grip.

Lucius, who turned his fragile neck to look at his distressed wife, showed no remorse in his eyes; no kindness. He held his secret tight in his hand; made his eyes drowsily close shut.

The walk to Lavender's dorm was very quiet as it was already passed eleven and most of the students had either gone to bed or in their house common rooms. She could hear little pitter patter's of feet against the cold stone floor approaching her, with the faint sounds of giggles which sounded like her friends Cho Chang and Luna Lovegood. They walked to Lavenders dorm together; Cho wearing pink and purple PJs, Katrina in a lacy and elegant cream silk shorts set and Luna wearing an ankle length moon and star nightdress.

After a rough push of the Hufflepuff portrait, the burnt smell of rose petals and tangerines lingered throughout the yellow and deep Satsuma coloured common room. The trio followed the scent up the spiralling pine stair case until they reached Miss Browns moving photo plastered dorm and carefully opened the creaking door; but weren't heard by Lavender. Lavender wore a deep purple floor length top and skirt, exposing the belly, which was covered with silver sequins. Metal beads hung from her skirt which jingled as she moved. In a total state of trance, Lavender held a thin peach candle and waved it around the room, leaving whispers of light grey smoke and the fragrance was engulfed by the air.

"Lavender..."Cho began, curiously looking around the room at the hanging pieces of silk material which draped across the floor, "are...you...okay?"

"OH!" Lavender blurted, putting down her incense stick and went to hug the trio, "I was just purifying the air for tonight"

"You were what? Lav, you look _and_ sound like that barmy Professor Mulaviorvé!" Cho replied, chuckling.

"Actually, I quite like her" said Luna in her airy fairy voice, "she looks like my mother, it keeps me sane" Luna skipped into the room and sat on one of the many scattered orange pillows that were on the floor.

"Whatever Cho" said Lavender," She advised me to do this, to get over won-won- I mean Ronald- and besides, it helps me with my Karma"

"Your karma?" Cho replied.

"Yeah, it's the new me" Lavender twirled in her skirt and clumsily fell on Luna, making her squeal in the shock but then both fell about laughing.

"Come on then, sit down you two!" said Lavender, so Cho grabbed Katrina's hand and sat on the orange silk pillows so they were all in a circle.

The room, apart from having a Moroccan feel to it, was also full of treats like batwing shaped fudges and some other sweets Katrina couldn't even recognise. Lavender was busy pouring caramel syrup and hognouts into each of their goblets, determined to make them stay awake through the beautiful still night.

Katrina, who was tapping her fingers against her goblet, lazily stared out of the old windows, wondering if she could see the Slytherin common rooms from here; but all she could see was the astronomy tower. She tilted her head to get a better view, and she could see someone shivering, wrapped in a blanket on the balcony. How she dreamt it was Draco, with his hair matching the perfect rounded moon above him. How she wished she could run to him, and stop him shivering by wrapping her arms around him under the blanket, making them one again...

"Personally I thought it was that Dean Thomas" Lavender mumbled, eating a large pecan pasty, "He's been looking at Luna for so long now that I was almost certain they would go out"

Luna, half listening to the conversation and half thinking about the Hinklepuffs that scattered across the room, shuffled on her pillow which her legs crossed, fiddling with a long strain of moon hair that rested on her shoulder. "Well, he is nice looking and all, but his head was full of Weezlebees, which was very off putting, which is why I'm so so glad I'm with Neville- he's the only one who doesn't have them, plus he's a genius with his hands"

Cho and Lavender turned their heads to chuckle, knowing full well she was talking about his planting skills, but the dirty thoughts had already overridden their brains.

" Here, have a look at this" ,Lavender pulled out a glossy magazine from underneath her purple four poster bed, before quickly turning to page 5 and chucking the magazine to Cho.

"Who is it?" Cho asked, stroking the glossy page underneath her hand," He looks awfully like-"

"Rita Skeeter" Lav retorted, eyeing the up side down figure who was dressed in only jeans and holding a quill and pad, "It's her grandson, Mike, or what the interview says he likes to be called, "Mikey"

"_Mikey Skeeter, Hot New Property from the press, soon to take over his grandmother's column in the Daily Prophet and New Witch magazine!" _Cho read out, wiggly her feet in excitement.

"I would read the Daily Prophet more often if his face and body was on it every day" Lavender licked her lips, "Yummy"

"He looks a lot like that new guy, Artwraight", Lavender started, "If he bulked up a bit, mind you, but I doubt he'll ever put down those profiteroles!"

Cho pushed Lavender playfully by the shoulder and fell about laughing.

"What about you Kat" Cho started, chewing loudly on a cherry bon bon, "you're the new comer, who do you think is cute?"

Luna grinned widely at Katrina, who was currently squishing a caramel between her fingers to warm it up, while her face laid a blank expression and was looking outside.

"OI DAY DREAMER!" Lavender threw a bon bon at Katrina's head. Katrina gasped and looked comically around the room.

"Sorry?" Katrina said, rubbing her sore temple.

"Cho asked who so you think is cute" Lavender picked up the bon bon she threw at Katrina and ate it, "even though it's not that hard to guess who it is".

Katrina's mouth suddenly went dry and felt her cheeks go rose as she thought they definitely knew who she was thinking about. Did she make it that obvious? It wasn't as if-

"Yeah, Seamus Finnigan!" Cho splattered, "He's practically been hanging off you ever since you walked in the school!"

"He's been telling the whole school how he's gonna ask you out, which will probably be soon because he's looks so bloody desperate to kiss you!" Lavender giggled, turning her long brown curls into a plait that fell on her chest.

Katrina took a big gulp of her espresso to try and hide her redness. How wrong could they be?

**Thank Merlin they don't know.**

"Erm...no one...no one really" Katrina said with her usual butter-couldn't-melt voice," Seamus is...alright, though"

"I bet he'll love to hear that" Lavender teased "maybe we should pay him a little visit now and you can play with his wand..."

"Oh Lav your so wrong! Can't you tell she's embarrassed as it is?" Cho said.

"No, it's alright; I'm a little bit used to Lav's crude humour now" Katrina said, clutching her silver goblet tight in both hands.

"No, but seriously" Lav pushed the lantern to one side "Draco Malfoy is delicious".

A little smile crept up Katrina's face, but she hid it with her goblet.

Cho sighed, "Sadly, he is, even though he's an evil twat"

Katrina's ears pricked. "He's not", she said without thinking, "I mean...Is he?"

"Oh Merlin! He's one mean git, he burned my hand in Duelling class even though he wasn't even duelling me" Lavender rubbed her hand excessively, "he's horrible- but is one of the sexiest boys in school I must admit"

"Especially to Gryffindor's, he has it bad for us" Cho said, tapping her goblet.

"Obviously, He's a Slytherin, it's in his blood" Lavender said.

**This can't be true; not Draco.**

"If he wasn't so horrid I would have snatched him a long time ago" Lavender said.

Cho scoffed into her drink, "What? Before or after Pansy knocked your head off for even looking at him?"

The two girls laughed into their drinks, while Luna was looking hopelessly at Katrina. Katrina felt a lump in her throat, which seized to move no matter how many times she swallowed.

Every breakfast, lunch and dinner, she could see Pansy stroke Draco in front of her view; as if she was teasing her. Katrina tried her best to ignore this, but failed to find hunger in her food after witnessing this cruelness.

"She's a horrible git as well" Cho began, "did you hear what she did to poor Romilda Vane last year?"

"Yeah, tricked her into eating charmed boiled sweets" Lavender said, swiftly dropping the sweet from her hand, "they were laced with poison oak"

"That's terrible!" Katrina said, a look of concern plastered her face, "why would she do such a thing?"

"Because apparently she winked at Draco during a trip to Hogsmeade" Lavender said.

"She's an evil cow, totally possessed with Draco, he's like her bloody drug" Cho said.

"What he sees in her I don't know" Lavender said, throwing a rosy pink silk blanket over herself and Katrina's shoulders.

Katrina wanted nothing more than to cry her eyes out over the truths she just heard. She didn't know Draco, so to speak, but she knows what he feels like; and what t_hey_ feel like- together. And the bond that she felt was not mean, evil or horrid as the girls described him to be; it was kind, gentle, sensitive and sensual. The looks that they exchange in the corridor only expressed longing in their eyes; Draco's eyes were her fix every day. Saddened waters began to flood her iris and pupils as she thought of Draco with Parkinson.

"Kat, you alright?" Cho said, looking at her friend with her small black eyes.

Katrina wiped her top lip on the blanket. "Yeah... yeah I'm fine, I think I might be allergic to your incense Lav" Kat lied, "I'm just gonna...gonna..."She couldn't even finish her sentence before standing up regrettably and leaving the dorm.

_Outside Hogwarts_

The Raven's hair blew blissfully in the cold autumn's night, and Mother Nature's blessed sunset leaves crunched under Katrina's bare feet. The moon's shadow covered her face as she walked slowly across the midnight field. Thoughts of Draco and Pansy flooded her mind; her touch on his face, her eyes glued to his. And the words of Cho spread through her head like fire: "especially Gryffindor's". From the every moment their eyes met, the connection was there, or, was she making it all up in her head, because he was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor?

In need to extinguish this fire, she ran, an passed Hagrid's stone hut, ran through the tall pine trees, branches wiping her as she sped through them, cutting her arms and tearing away her pain; ran over the bridge that separated the Hogwarts grounds and the Forbidden Forest.

She stopped, resting her arms on her knees, panting harder than after a 3 hour long Quiditch match. Her sodden eyes trembled as she looked up at the forest around her. Looking high in the midnight blanket, she could see a small, broken and terribly old tree house.

Ivy trellised down the sides of the old and splintered planks of wood which secured its structure. Its roof, reminiscent to the pointing towers of Hogwarts, had gaping holes in it, which was inviting the squirrels and other animals into the tree house. It had no windows but three cute window frames which had small bushes of moss growing on them. It looked like it had been lived in, many years ago, as it had dream catchers and wind flutes attached to the ceiling. She felt at home in the woods, and felt comfort in this marvellous vintage forest home.

She smiled at this beautiful creation and climbed expertly up the thick trunk of the oak tree, swinging on branches and grabbing pieces of rope as she climbed. Underneath the tree house, she pushed a slab of wood which was sealing the entrance and pulled herself up onto the dusty floor. She gazed outside the opened tree house to see the expanded land of trees, bushes, streams and magical creatures settling in their homes from a midnight rest.

She dangled her legs over the balcony, holding her cold arms tightly to let her blood defrost. It was silly, she knew, to cry over someone she doesn't even really know, but she couldn't help it. Seeing Draco's face everyday made her want to get up in the morning; made her want to live. It was like Draco was her life, her universe, her reason for existence- to see his presence.

"You know, you shouldn't run off like that" A pixie's blonde hair tickled Katrina's head as the pixie swung upside down from the broken ceiling.

"People started to get worried about you"

"Oh" Katrina sniffled, "sorry Luna, I just needed some air"

"How are your eyes?" Luna jumped like a tom cat onto the tree house floor and sat on the creaking wooden balcony.

"I-I-"She didn't know how to respond.

"Don't worry, I understand, I know how you're feeling, it's the same with werewolves and mermaids"

"What do you mean?" Katrina replied, looking into Luna's pale purple eyes.

"I know who you like, really, like" Luna swag her legs, "It's that Slytherin boy, Draco"

**Luna must be a detective when she's older.**

"How do you know?" Katrina looked into the trees.

"I can tell" Luna started, "By the way you smell"

"_Smell?" _Katrina lifted her shaped eyebrows.

" It's simple, really" Luna gazed into the moon, " You normally smell like the sweet nectar of the garden's fruit and flowers, hints of Lavender and cherry blossom sometimes" Luna said casually, " but when he's around, your smell changes, it's more woody, more sensual, more fruity, with a scent of cinnamon too"

Kat looked at Luna with confused eyes.

"It's the same with him, really, he normally smells of spices and Clementine's, ginger and cinnamon, but when he's around you, his scent becomes more breezy and light ,again, sensual, and smells like...Well, you" the pixie finished with her fairy voice.

This girl was a genius, definitely not worthy of "Loony Luna" title.

"I've also noticed how you've started to drink more mulled wine at dinner and he studies and rests by the greenhouse 3 gardens a lot" Luna smiled.

"Merlin, you're so right, I do actually do that, don't I? You're amazing Luna" Katrina smiled back, running her finger through her black hair.

"It's adorable, really, like Hogwarts own Romeo and Juliet"

"You know Romeo and Juliet?" she said, a family of tawny owls hooted in unison in a tree opposite.

"Yes, I study muggle artefacts, Shakespeare's plays are my favourite books that I've ever read, but I don't even need to read them when I see you too around"

Katrina chuckled playfully.

"See, you're so pretty when you laugh" Luna wiped the tears from Kats face. "No wonder Draco has fallen for you"

A warm sensation spread through Kats stomach and reached her head; _she thinks he's fallen for her? _She _wasn't_ making the connection up.

"So, are you going to ask him to the Halloween ball?" Luna asked

"What Halloween Ball?" Katrina asked

"On the 31st of October, Professor McGonagall is allowing seventh years have a Halloween Ball to celebrate the end of term" Luna replied, "You know, to end the term nicely"

A breeze of autumn leaves flew into the open tree house.

"Ah" The breeze was comforting to both of them, "I would, if it wasn't for Pansy"

"Oh, yes, the thorn in the romantic tale" Luna purred, "Oh, you needn't worry about her, besides, I'm sure Romeo will be with Juliet in the end" Luna yawned and curled up in a ball like a cat, and began to sleep peacefully beside Katrina.

"G'night, Luna" Katrina whispered, before copying Luna and falling asleep under the gaping hole in the roof, revealing the beautiful cluster of milky stars.

* * *

"_Do it"_

"_I...I...I..."_

"_Draco, just do it"_

"_No... I cant...I..."_

"_DRACOOOO! DO IT NOWW!"_

"_n...n..Don't make me..Please...I"_

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Draco screamed, sweat streamed down his white face and his sore lungs pumping furiously against his chest. His grey pools of ice looked obsessively around the room as he clawed the sodden white sheets. This was the twelfth time in a row Draco had woken up in a cold sweat, his toned stomach muscles ached as they contracted wildly under his transparent soaked shirt. His memories were haunting him; Draco was extremely, extremely exhausted.

* * *

The soft rays of gold pierced through the cracks in the wooden walls, birds hummed their morning song on top of the branches.

Katrina stirred in her sleep, her silky cream lacy vest riding up to her bare chest, before gently opening her eyes to gaze at the perfect awoken sun. She turned to her side, expecting to see Luna in her foetal position, but instead laid a crunched piece of yellowing parchment and some berries.

'_Katrina, _

_I had to wake up early, for you see I cannot sleep past four; the Pifflegrumps like to attack in one's sleep after this time. I picked some blackberries for you to nibble on, if you get hungry. I'll see you at Hagrids hut to prepare the animals for Care for Magical Creature class on Monday this evening._

_Luna Lovegood x'_

"She's one unique girly" Katrina laughed, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. Suddenly, a gliding smudge of brown flew into the tree house and dropped a letter unto Katrina's lap, while the owl nibbled at the freshly picked berries before soaring off into the sun kissed air.

'_Meet me by the Quiditch pitch at 10 am.'_

A million thoughts swarmed her head at who it could be, who she wanted it to be. Katrina swung down from the tree house immediately and ran to her dorm to get changed into her jeans, coat, boots, gloves and pink woolly hat that Luna knitted her.

By the time she was dressed it was approaching ten o'clock, so she walked excitably towards to Quiditch pitch, which was surrounded by students pointing, giggling and awing to the middle of the pitch. Hearing faint cries of "yes", she pushed her way through the crowd, and her face fell.

"OH HERE SHE IS!" Dean exclaimed through his megaphone, "GO ON, IT'S YOUR TURN MATE"

Amongst a row of well dressed teenage boys, a tall freckly guy walked towards her, dressed in a tuxedo, and pointed a pink rose towards her.

" Miss Mongroe, would ya like t' go t' the Halloween Ball wit' me?" winked the green eyed Irish boy, Seamus.

Katrina hesitated, and looked around her, but she was completely speechless.

"Oh!" she felt like evaporating on the spot, "Urm...Urm...ye-yes" she stuttered, smiling just as sincerely as a lying Remenion, into the sparkling clovered eyes of the excited Irish student.

A Quiditch match victories worth of cheers and wolf whistles surrounded her, and a firm hand pulled her waist close to him.

"Alright you lot, grab your girls and smile for the camera, this is for the year book!" shouted Colin Creevy, pointing his huge camera at the row of suited boys with their happy and giggly dates in their arms.

"Oi, hold on Colin, I need to make this picture memorable" shouted Seamus, with a grin that covered his face, and, quickly, he grabbed Katrina by the waist and kissed her.

Katrina's eyes widened in shock as he latched onto her plump cherry lips, comfortably snogging her in his strong grip.

They parted, and wolf whistles flooded their ears, and she looked confusingly into the crowd.

She couldn't believe her eyes; in the distance, she could see her Romeo; his hair greased back behind his ears, dressed in an expensive _Timbler Cucci _suit, but not with a rose under his tight grip, but a suitcase roughly stuffed with his belongings. He glared at her with his frozen eyes, before harshly walking deep into the forest.

She desperately wanted to run after him, to explain what he just saw, to ask why his belongings were packed and why he was leaving her to face Hogwarts alone.

* * *

Draco marched his way through the forest, dragging his feet helplessly through the path, following the sounds of the steam train. Jealously boiled underneath his skin and through his restricted veins. His heartbeat raced underneath his exhausted ghostly white frame, panting hard as he raced through the forest.

"Draco!" Katrina yelled at the top of her lungs, her midnight locks falling in-between her cherry stained lips.

"Yes" Draco said coldly, his back facing the distressed Gryffindor.

"Don't go" she said, holding the sides of her face with her fuzzy gloves.

The anger of Seamus and Katrina boiled inside him.

"Why do you even care you _filthy half-blood_?" he spat bitterly, his eyes filling with poison-laced water.

Katrina was stunned. "I...I don't" she lied loudly, folding her arms angrily.

"Oh Yeah? Then why are you here!" Draco spat, not wanting her to see his distressed pale face.

Thoughts of him and Pansy boiled inside of her.

"Oh that's rich; I could ask the same to you!" Katrina said; her eyes pierced his, "why are you leaving in such a rush?"

_**Because If I can't have you there's no point in me staying.**_

"Because, not like it is any of your concern, but I must travel back to see my father" Draco lied, dropping his turquoise stained trunk on the wet platform. "And you _Mongroe_?"

**Because I need to tell you that I'm sorry if I hurt you and I'm falling for you.**

"Because Hagrid needs you to help tame the Hippogriffs for Monday's lesson" Katrina lied, her jaw starting to quiver.

"Animals which I care about" Katrina said quietly, as tears were burning behind her golden brown eyes, "and, not like it's any of your concern, I am going to leave now" and she walked away, her body shaking underneath her jacket and denim jeans.

Draco stared at the beauty that walked away from him; the beauty that he made cry. He couldn't see Katrina properly, as his eyes were red and blotchy and had double vision, making him go dizzy. He didn't mean anything he said to her; he wasn't in his right mind, he was completely out of it. He was angry, upset, and delusional, and in need of a sympathetic ear and person to talk to.

He grabbed his trunk and muttered swear words under his breath, before uncomfortably walking down the grey and wet Platform to board the red train back to platform 9 ¾'s.


	5. The Steed of the Silence

_**Chapter 5- The Steed of the Silence**_

* * *

It was mid-evening, and the last of the autumn sun slid between the darkened gardens of the Malfoy Estate. Dust fell from the deep conker doors as they rattled against the bony knuckles of a middle aged pale wizard. Narcissa, dressed in a black laced jacket and skirt, opened the thick doors by the black dust speckled serpent knobs.

"Severus" whispered Narcissa, the weak flame of her candle flickered in front of her dull eyes, " I'm so sorry to trouble you at such a time in the night, dear friend, but this is a matter of-"

"Urgency" the tall man thinly ended her sentence, "I understood by the content of your letter that you required my presence-earlier- than what I initially thought" Snape pressed his index finger on the door frame, "may I come in?"

The Malfoy Estate looked familiar to how Snape remembered it to be not so long ago. The hall which appeared in front of him still bared many a fruitful memory for him. The pebbled white marble floor still retained its high polished gleam, and a small but intimidating house elf pressed his ear towards the glistening marble and muttered words to itself. Professional paintings of past Malfoys decked the dark turquoise and deep silver designed corridors; their oiled portraitures remained stern as they moved stiffly in their polished gold frames. The ambiance lay thick with sorrow, rot and fear as the last ashes of burnt candle wick fell from the aged silver Chandeliers. The usual aroma of Narcissa's illustrious bowls of Magnolia and Vanilla potpourri were masked by the stench of medicinal potions and pharmaceutical medical wrappings.

A tired Narcissa knocked twice on the first guest room on the right, and twisted the door knob to crack open the door.

Snape's cold heart ached under the sight of his dear, dear friend who lay frozen in underneath his white bed sheet. The gentle rise and fall of Lucius's chest were barely visible underneath the long expanse of almost white oiled hair that rested on his night shirt.

Snape walked into the room and pulled a golden leaf designed armchair to the left hand side of his ill companion. He placed his black leather miniature brief case onto the bed side cabinet, which was the home to a wooden Quiditch themed frame, which surrounded the dusty black and white photo of a younger Lucius and Snape shaking hands vigorously outside Gringotts Bank.

Severus drew back his black sleeves and took out a long syringe with a translucent liquid inside it, a long wooden spoon and a small bottle of brown potion with a wolfberry leaf and a few broken twigs inside it.

Snape undid four white buttons down Lucius's shirt and brought his shoulder forward in full view of Snape's dark beady eyes. He jabbed the needle into his taught white skin and pushed the contents into his shoulder. Lucius sucked the air in-between his teeth harshly which made Snape jump at the unexpected response of his drowsy friend.

"Sorry, to wake you, Lucius" Snape covered Lucius's shoulder with the bed sheet, "but I must insist you take your medicine just as the doctor ordered"

Lucius turned his head to see the greasy black locks of his friend Severus. "You know how much I hate that stuff" Lucius croaked, his voice weak and his throat dry and course as sandpaper.

Severus sniggered as he poured the brown twig infused potion onto the wooden spoon, "Now now, Lucius, we are not ten years old anymore", he brought the spoon to Lucius's parted lips, "Now, take your medicine like a good boy"

Lucius looked at his distressed wife who lingered in the backroom, and she left the room holding a cream handkerchief tight in her grip.

"I appreciate you coming down from London to visit me at this time of night, Severus" Lucius croaked, swallowing the vile bitter medicine. "I understand times are tough right now"

"That is quite alright, Wormtail is guarding the home and charming the suspicious witch and wizard as we speak" Snape leaned back and cross his legs tightly, "Besides, it is nice to get some country air for a change"

The house elf muttered as it walked past the guest room.

"How is everything with Bellatrix and the others? Narcissa has been worried sick for the past two months" Lucius purred.

"Mad, as usual" Snape replied in his melancholy voice, "but the Dark Lord has removed everyone from sight and put them in a secret location; a location not even I know the whereabouts of"

"That is most peculiar, why did he not tell you? Why didn't he banish you as well?" Lucius asked, stiffly moving his neck.

"You see" Snape started, as he began to pace the room, "If I knew the location and was going to and fro from it, people will start to get suspicious, and I cannot risk the exposure of such location under the watchful eye of the Ministry, plus that devious news reporter, Mr Skeeter" He looked into a picture of a lady holding a basket full of flowers and she curtseyed to him, " Young he might be, but still as conniving and manipulating as the rest of the news hungry pack"

A silence fell between the two as Lucius shifted in his bed.

"Severus, there is another reason I brought you here today, one, that Narcissa failed to mention in my letter" Lucius coughed, causing his grey eyes to water.

"I suspected as much" Snape wiped the spoon with a black handkerchief, "go on"

"As you know, Severus, I trust you with my life, my soul, my whole entire family name. We have been together through the thick and thin since our days at Hogwarts, through near death experiences and jubilant memories with you that will be with me until my dying day. We help each other out, dear friend, and I must ask for another favour"

Lucius opened his fragile hand to expose his secret to Snape.

* * *

Petting and grooming the Hippogriffs seemed to be the only escape for her. It was exactly six o'clock and she should have been getting ready for dinner, like always, but she didn't feel like going tonight. The moon hung low in sky as the sun slipped behind the hills to say goodnight, giving everything a golden tint. It had been exactly two weeks since she saw Draco; that bloody idiot. That stupid, bloody idiot. Cho and Lavender was right; what an absolute dick. How could she of fallen for him? He's a Slytherin, and she's been at the school long enough to know how the snake students behave; she was shocked in herself to even think about one in that way. How dare he call her a mud blood! She was a pureblood, as far as she knew- it's what her mother had told her anyways, seeing as she had never met her father.

After classes, she would go down to the forest just behind Hagrids hut and feed and care for the animals. At first, she loved it there, she loved looking at the array of different animals and colours and knowing them on a personal level, so she knew what to feed them by what they liked. But now, she still loved it, but it was more an excuse to be away from civilisation; away from the memories of_ him_.

She had lost herself in him; apart of her went with Draco when he left. She hadn't been her usual, bubbly self; instead, she wanted nothing more than to sit in the corner and mope.

She kicked a bucket of ferrets on the floor for Buckbeak to nibble on while she brushed his feathers. Brushing such a big bird was a task as Katrina was only small compared to him, so standing on her tip toes slightly was the only way to brush the top freckly feathers. She went over his shoulder a few times before feeling something textured underneath his wing, so she grabbed his wing and lifted it to find a twig lodged into his skin. Without thinking of the consequences, she tugged at the twig grunting words between each tug and pulled harder, making Buckbeak jerk in frustration.

"Yer havin' trouble thur, Katrina?" said a distant voice, as suddenly she pulled the twig with all her weight and finally the twig ripped out and she fell, making Buckbeak buck his legs up in the air and hawk madly, kicking a bucket near her head which she covered with her hands.

"Woah, woah boy!" Hagrid said, raising his hand to try and tame Buckbeak but he galloped away in-between the trees.

"You okay Katrina?"

"Yeah, just fine" Katrina retorted angrily, wiping the mud off her body as she stood up, "just tried to get a twig out of his wing"

"Oh, well, I've brought yer summink" Hagrid pulled out his gift from behind his back, "Just a lickle gift for, yer know, helping us out this past term"

"Oh Hagrid, I absolutely love it!" Katrina said while Hagrid handed her her gift, "I love these ones, very rare to find here though? Where did you get them from?"

"Oh, er, let's just say I know me places" Hagrids grabbed his brown jacket proudly" You like it, then?"

"Love it, thank you" she brought the present up to her small nose and inhaled the aroma.

Hagrid looked at the muddy ground near his black boots. "Well, I'll be off then" Hagrid smiled and walked away, limping.

"Hagrid" Katrina crunched her eyebrows curiously, "Your leg...your limping...what happened to it?"

"Er, I had sum unexpected visiturs, today you see" Hagrid knocked his knee into place, "they didn't get what they wanted so the little buggar bit me on me leg"

"Oh" Katrina rubbed her shoulder, as she could feel his pain travelling through her leg, "but... what did they want? And what bit you..."

"_I shouldn't of said that_" Hagrid muttered under his breath, kicking the ground with his good leg, "Oh, just um...some potions that I've collected over the years, some yer can't even get today, yur know", Hagrid said, "and I think it were a lickle house elf, nasty one at that"

"Who's house elf?" Katrina twiddled her feet in her fringed purple boots.

"Er, I couldn't see their faces... er anyways, better be off, Fangs not gonna feed herself!" Hagrid chuckled under his furry beard and weaved weakly at Katrina before limping off to his cabin which had masses of smoke flooding out of the stone chimney.

The smoke lingered through the air, and Katrina inhaled the sweet hints of cooked steaks, carrots and potatoes that Hagrid cooked for his supper. She brought the gift to her muddied face to smelt it again, the smells bringing her back to her home in France.

He had bought her a bouquet of Travauds, a beautiful orange flower that changes colour depending on the person's mood. And, not surprisingly, hers turned purple in her grip; for sadness. Although she didn't feel sad; she felt angry. Sometimes, she wanted to scream at letting herself fantasise about Draco; other times, she wanted to run to him wherever he was and apologise for absolutely nothing, just so he can look into her eyes.

She hated that. She hated not knowing what she felt. She hated the mood swings. She hated not knowing him; and loved knowing him at all. She hated how much she knew about him without knowing him at all. She hated that she knew how his eyes changed colours depending on the light and his mood. She hated that she knew exactly how many freckles tickled under his eyes. She hated knowing how he unknowingly pouts his lips during class. She hated the way he smelt of spices and vanilla. She hated knowing his favourite meal was pudding. She hated that she knew where he spent most of the night; in the restricted bathrooms. She hated knowing that he unbuttons exactly three buttons down his shirt after dinner. She hated knowing this. And worst of all; she hated how much she was falling in love with him.

As always, she picked the biggest flower from the bunch and pinched its stem until the juices fell on her fingertips, before pushing it into the mess of jet black curly hair that tussled down her back. She gazed up at the moon and assumed it was around that time when Luna would greet her in the hall, grab some food and take it to the "Love Nest" which they called their discovered tree home.

She walked up to the castle slowly, admiring the vast beauty that Hogwarts and its grounds had to offer; all the trees and little streams and everything in between. When she reached the castle, she huffed and puffed as she walked through the corridors to the Great Hall, but was slowed down by a devilish stare from an eyebrow-cut Slytherin; Blaise. As he walked past her, he snarled and cut her pupils with a death stare so intense she could see the black dots engraved in his dark brown iris. Katrina inhaled the air deeply and looked at him with innocent eyes; but still kept walking.

"OH!" shouted a voice from in front of her. She turned back and looked at the mess of papers that scattered the floor.

"I am sorry, Professor Mulaviorvé" Katrina shot to the floor and dragged pieces of paper towards her feet, "I wasn't looking where I was going"

"That's quite okay Katrina!" Professor Mulaviorvé smiled, tilting her head so she could see Katrina's bewildered face. Professor Mulaviorvé had a gift of showing pleasantness in the worst of situations. "Let go, Dear, Merlin didn't invent wands for nothing!" She beamed, and stretched her long red-coated fingers into her little camel satchel that rested on her bony hip and pulled at a wand to gather up the papers.

"There! No harm done!" the kind teacher sung and clasped her hands together and rested them against her cheek, like a child. Katrina, still not concentrating, darted her eyes around the corridor with an unusual frown on her cherry lips.

"What's the matter, me dear? You haven't smiled in days!"

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all"

"Oh? Is school work okay?"

"Erm...It's not really... school related... it, um...it's more o-"

"Ba ba ba!" The Professor placed her bony finger on Katrina's lips, "Say no more! Save it for tonight!"

"Tonight?" Katrina babbled through the finger.

"Ah yes! I wish to talk to you, you know, to see how you're doing! It's a normal counselling thing we do here for new students" The Professor winked, "It is just a catch up thing"

"Oh...Okay" Katrina stuttered, her usual shyness coming back, "Where?"

"The Library, please! I'll wait for by the windows facing the old lake, in the humour section, but for now, go get some super. Bye!" and with that, she was off, her bushy brown hair bouncing on her shoulders, slightly hiding a sun tattoo that marked the space in between her skinny shoulder blades.

Katrina went to her usual bathrooms that she used and refreshed herself before meeting Luna in their usual spot to collect dinner and took the long rocky walk down to their little getaway house. The conversation was little, but significant, as Katrina was too busy thinking of the conversation she would have with Professor Mulaviorvé, and if she should tell her the whole truth of her sadness.

It was about 9 o'clock when finally she entered the library. The library was unusually busy for a Friday night, as tables where almost full of students reading books and writing ridiculous lengths of essays that Professor Flitwick had set for them.

The library was a calm place to be; it was silent, but the millions of books that burst the solid oak bookcases screamed for the attention of a student to read them. She loved the warm browns and chocolates that filled the library, and the luscious red carpet that stretched until it reached the soft snaps and crackles of the amber fire. She sat down exactly where she was told to; in-between the humour and biography section. She sat right up against the wooden desk that stretched underneath the tall black criss-crossed windows that allowed Katrina to gaze at the moons shattered reflection on the beautiful still lake beneath it.

She tapped her finger nails on the desk in boredom, and looked over to her left. Through the books, she could see a wizard with his head flat against the desk, in-between his crossed arms and his hood covering his hair, making him look like a dementor. She positioned her head a couple of times to get a perfect view of the student, as she soaked up his emotions; she wished she could just slump on a desk just like he did.

"H-Hi K-Katrina" a voice, almost as low as a whisper, crept up beside her. Katrina quickly stopped looking and bent down to get an imaginary pencil that she supposedly dropped.

"Hey Neville" Katrina smiled, "How are you?"

"Great, thanks" Neville was always shy at first, even though he's known Katrina for a term now, "Just got back from Herbology after class, we went fishing for guilliweed in the lake, it was fun but I have a few nips on my legs from the miniature piranhas" Neville shifted nervously on his spot, "Anyway, I had something to give you, but, I forgot what it was"

Katrina let out a silent giggle and smiled at the confused boy in front of her. Suddenly, a "pssst" noise came from between the books and a hand which was obviously Luna's as she is the only student who wears purple nail polish covered in glitter, stretching out to Neville the gift to give for her.

"Oh, right" Neville awkwardly gave the gift to a now smiling Katrina. "Who's it from?" Katrina asked.

"Oh...err..."

"_Seamus_" Luna whispered.

"Seamus"

Katrina giggled at the sheer ridiculousness of Luna hiding. "Thanks, Neville, I appreciate it" And the couple walked off, holding hands.

Since the kiss, Seamus hasn't changed the way he acts around her; even though she ran off after it. He's been really sweet to her, which she both loved and hated, as it put her mind off a certain someone but she hated not having him on her mind at the same time. She took the purple box in both hands, and rattled it against her ear. She pulled one of the fraying bow laces until the bow fell to the ground and opened the box. It was full of rose, green, yellow and purple Turkish delights with a silver star in the middle of them, which glowed due to a lighting spell she guessed. Stuck to the lid was a note:

"_Katrina,_

_I saw these and thought of you, as you are the star to my universe._

_Seamus"_

Katrina smiled, and began nibbling on the rose water Turkish delight until it reached the sweet glowing Silver Star in the nibble. Seamus would make a great boyfriend, she knew this. But something was always stopping her from pursuing this. In all honesty, she didn't really want the attention he was giving her; she didn't want to fall for him. But giving gifts like this and that smile that he gave her made it hard not to. Maybe it wasn't that b-

"KATRINA!" Professor Mulaviorvé suddenly appeared and pushed her body against the desk, making her jump.

"H-hi" Katrina quickly put the reminder delight back in its placed and jammed the lit shut, "I didn't see you there"

"Evidently, by the little jump I gave you" The Professor laughed, sitting on Katrina's desk. "Now, I have a few basic questions to ask you, you know, standard blah blah's" she pulled a funny face and put on some green framed glasses.

"Are you enjoying all of your classes?" she licked her fingers to turn a page in her notebook and began to scribble.

Katrina fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "Yes"

"What are you taking?"

"Herbology, Ancient Ruins, Care of Magical Creatures, History of Magic"

"Settling in your house okay?"

"Yes, no problems"

"Have a secure group of friends?"

"Yes- Luna, Susan, Cho, Lavender, Seamus and Neville"

"mhm right right...What is your favourite colour?" the Professor asked while peering over her glasses.

"Red...but...is that honestly a question?"

"No, no, I was just curious" she laughed, crossing her thin legs underneath her purple velvety dress.

"Right right...now, you were upset earlier, wish to tell me what was the matter?"

Katrina thought hard about how much to disclose to her; to tell her how she felt about the nasty Draco Malfoy; but nothing like that came out, apart from a flood of tears.

"I miss home" Katrina sniffled, her chocolate eyes surrounded by a clear gloss of water.

Professor Mulaviorvé sighed as she looked questionably at Katrina.

"You know, I don't do this often" She untied a chain from behind her neck, "but desperate times cause for desperate measure as they say"

She presented Katrina with a copper chain with a metal circle and a little sand timer inside it.

"This is a time turner, I found it in the school grounds a couple of months ago, and it's what gets me on time for all of my classes! I'm a headless chicken without it really"

"Professor, I couldn-"

"Ba ba ba! Don't say another word! Take it, and use it to go visit your mother, I would say today is a tad too late, but tomorrow is the start of the weekend and you'll have as much time as you like, we won't notice, remember" the Professor winked, and placed the chain in Katrina's hand.

"I- I don't know what to say"

"Using it, is thank you enough for me" she smiled, rubbing her brow, "Use it, come back, be happy, and be the Katrina that we all love and know, yes?"

Katrina nodded and smiled, a thin tear fell from her eyes to her parted lips. "Thank you so much"

Professor Mulaviorvé gave Katrina one of her many hankies in her satchel and lightly skipped away with her notebook and pen.

Katrina wiped the tears off her face, put the time turner inside her gift from Seamus and began to walk-

" Hey lovely" An Irish boy stood in front of her, his hair scruffy from the day's activities and uniform messy and un kept.

"I see you got me present, aye?" The boy bit his lip and looked her up and down.

Katrina's face was facing the floor, as she didn't want him to see her crying, but she couldn't help but sniffle.

Seamus placed his hand on her shoulder and lifted her head up, "Oi, what's up?"

Katrina reluctantly looked in his eyes, "No, I- I just miss home, my family and friends, you know, n-not like you guys aren't my friends, you are, I-I Ju-"

Seamus pushed her back gently against the desk, making her sit "shhh shhh, ay, don't cry, please, every tings gonna be alright"

Katrina's head was bowed low, and Seamus gently pushed her back so he had access to her plump lips. He kissed her softly, and pulled away slowly to taste the flavour of her salty tears.

Katrina blinked about twenty times and watched the footsteps of Seamus walk away from her. She knew she shouldn't have accepted the kiss; but it was sweet and was comforting in this time of her pain; and it wasn't like he was a bad kisser either. She left the Library and went to her dorm, where she threw the gift across the floor and wept on the bed.

* * *

"I need you to do it" Draco's father said coldly.

"Go to bed, the medicine will kick in a matter of minutes-"

"No, I am not delusional; I need you to do it, soon" The look in Lucius's eyes showed plain seriousness.

"ARE YOU MAD LUCIUS? The four of us _swore_ that we wouldn't meddle, it is damn right too dangerou-"

"I might not have long to live, I must see what his-"

"He is just a boy! Do you understand how important it is that it doesn't end up in the wrong hands? IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPE-"

"I would have thought it was the last thing you could do seeing as I stopped you from retrieving The Kiss"

Snape swivelled on his heel and snarled at Lucius, who had folded his arms across his chest and stared at the flickering candle hovering above his head.

Snape yelled and violently dragged his hand across the chest of doors causing a vase to smash loudly on the floor.

"Now listen here" Snape held Lucius by the collar, "Draco is like a son to me", Lucius sniggered under Snape's firm hold, "Yes, he can be a little bastard at times, but nevertheless I have watched him grow up, looked after him when _you_ were unfit to do so and watched over him at Hogwarts for _seven _years! I cannot stand aside and let you jeopardise his safety, his _life_, Lucius"

Thick thunderous clouds were forming outside the long windows.

"Pity", Lucius held Snape's tight fist, "I'll arrange for the dementors to see you, say, six o'clock, tomorrow night?"

Severus, whose hearing had narrowed so thinly that the only sounds he could hear were the faint hiss of the flickering flame that shadowed Lucius's face. Snape stared into his greying eyes so strongly he could see fine details of his black reflection.

Narcissa opened the door in a panic, "I heard a crash, is everything alright?"

"Everything, is fine" Snape hissed his last words and stormed out of the Malfoy estate for what would be the last time.


	6. The Ice's Ashes

_**Chapter 6- The Ice's Ashes **_

After the usual dizziness that comes as a result of apparating from Hogsmeade, Katrina looked at her surroundings and smiled.

She could see the old village town square, and loved how it hadn't changed one bit. The town square laid between towering housing blocks, made from smooth cracked stone and cement. She could hear and see the village children playing with their friends in the middle on the dusty road, and their beautiful French mothers pressed against their door frames, comfortably putting a cigarette to their red kissed lips.

She missed the sounds of laughter from the little children and their accents so much that she couldn't help but smile. She missed the sounds of her shoes crunching on the cracked pebbles and kicking her bare feet in the dusty ground; she missed home.

She inhaled the fresh scents of yeast from the bread that Julian baked at 6 o'clock every single day, as it wafted through the clear air. The air, she noticed, seemed a lot thinner than the air at Hogwarts, probably because the town was a lot purer than Hogwarts.

After soaking in the sights of her little cute town, he turned around on the heel of her fringed cowboy boots and saw her beloved house.

It was painted pale blue, with speckles of brown where the paint had peeled off over the years. The house was pleasantly kissed with green ivy that trellised from under the white windows up towards the black iron balcony on the top floor; all of the houses had the trademark black iron balcony.

On the balcony, she could see her mothers small rounded table, covered with a flowery table cloth, with a pale blue tea cup and saucer sitting on top. The 7 15 am toast was waiting with a pot of jam in the middle of the table, when suddenly the French balcony doors swung open.

"Ka? Katrina? KATRINA!" the woman yelled waving her arms, her dark hair moving under her smart hat.

Katrina opened her mouth to say hello when suddenly the front door burst open.

"Katrina!" the aging woman yelled, her dark blonde curls nestled inside her chiffon head scarf.

"Mama" Katrina couldn't keep in her excitableness so she opened the gate with a large creak; how she missed the sounds of the creak, and ran passed the green flowery plants in her front lawn and flung herself into the open arms of her earl bird mother.

"Katrina! Katrina!", her mother squeezed her eyes closed while hugging her daughter, " ca va?"

"tres bien, merci! Et vous?" Katrina was so happy to be home.

"bien, bien! But my darling, I am confused!" her mother held her daughter by both shoulders to take in her daughters presence, " I thought term ended on the 1st of November, no?"

"No, I mean, yes, I just- I just wanted to see you" Katrina smiled up at her mothers pristine make up face.

" Oh, _coeur doux_!" Her mother pulled up the sleeves of her long baby pink dressing gown and took Katrina by the waist, " come in! come in!"

The house looked exactly the same as she had left it, although slightly messier than usual; which was odd, as her mother is very particular on house keeping and making the right impressions to visitors. The open plan first floor still looked the same; the old French kitchen far left, with a tea pot whistling wildly as a sign to take it off the heat. The illustrious lounge was filled with her mothers favourite vintage shabby-chic turquoise sofas with the gold rim. The coffee table was covered with French magazines, and a coffee mug sat on top and still had the red imprints of her mother lips on the rim. The house smelt like cinnamon buns and cream. The room was decorated with different fabrics and patterns, and each table top was covered with gold and silver ornaments which her mother collected religiously. The silver rimmed mirrors still maintained its shine and the obedient only-turn-magical-if-we-have-non-muggle-guests black and white paintings waved at Katrina.

"Oh my, you've grown so much!" the mother said, smoothing Katrina's pale cheeks, " but so much thinner, what are they feeding you at that school?"

"Oh trust me, it's enough" Katrina giggled, as memories of the long tables filling up with mountains of food.

"You haven't changed one bit, Mama" Katrina flicked one of her mothers exposed curls.

"Oh, that is the works of _Wendra Redulé's 'Magique' Magical Anti-aging cream," _her mother rubbed her own cheeks, "if only she knew, eh?" she winked and they both started to laugh.

"Miss Katrina!" yelled a another voice, hugging the unexpecting student from behind.

"Bonjour, Melissa!"

Melissa was the maid, who had been like a second mother to Katrina when her mum was out on business, which was often, as she worked for a famous muggle designer who needed her mother to go to fashion shows all over the world to promote the designs. Melissa still had her usual smell of soap, but seemed to be a lot darker than before, probably because of the hot weather they'd been having. She was short and happily plump woman, who loved Katrina like a daughter.

" was just telling Katrina how big she's getting" Her mother placed her purple nailed finger on her cheek, as if she was expecting a valuable piece of art.

" Aye, muy grande! More beautiful also" Melissa spiralled her, " must be hard to keep those boys at bay, no?"

Katrina didn't have the strength to verbally respond, so she flicked a midnight hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly.

"How's my bébé?" Katrina asked.

"Fine fine, he's grown quite a bit since last time you know, must be all of those dog biscuits he's eating" said her Mother.

Behind her mother was the round breakfast table, completely covered with papers, Inks, quills and beads.

"Been busy I see?" Katrina asked curiously while walking towards the table.

"Uh uh" the mother stopped her in her tracks by the shoulders, " just some work I doing for a client, I've been asked to design the hall for the 30th annual wine festival ball, you know" she smiled.

Even though her mother had been in the fashion industry for years, she changed her career a couple of years ago to be more close with Katrina, so she set up her own interior design company.

Melissa frantically collected the papers from the table, " Your Madre has been very busy with this one, as you can see, very very messy" Melissa said in her strong Spanish accent.

"Oh, speaking of design" Katrina removed her gloves and placed them next to a naked woman silver ornament. " There's this, Ball, a Halloween Ball, at Hogwarts, and, I was wondering if I could borrow one of your dresses to wear" Katrina said, twiddling her thumbs.

" Oh Katrina!" her mother smiled, " Of course you can! They're not doing much justice hanging in my dusty closet anyway! Lets go upstairs, Melissa will fetch you some eggs sunny side up and us three will have a good rummage through the dresses"

Melissa nodded and went to do her duty, while Katrina and her mother ascended the cherry oak stairs to her mothers lavish bedroom.

He probably hadn't moved for hours. Days, it seemed. But getting up was too much of a task; too much of a struggle. So he stayed there. Silent.

Katrina bounced lightly on her mothers squishy frilly bed, while she gobbled up her eggs.

"School is okay I trust, bon bon?" Bon bon was the nickname she gave Katrina since she was a little girl as she ate a whole box bon bons from the sweet box at Christmas one year when she was five.

"mmm…Great" She stirred the teaspoon in her tea, " I've made good friends there"

" Oh really, who?" Her mother was chucking the label-less dresses over her shoulder and onto the floor.

"Well there's Cho Chang, her parents are from Hong Kong but she grew up in Edinburgh" slurp, " and Lavender Brown, I think her father is Croatian, she's funny" slurp, " Luna Lovegood, strange but brilliant and looks like a pixie" slurp " Susan bones, doesn't say much but lovely" slurp, " Neville Longbottom, Luna's boyfriend and basically Wizard of all things green, " Seamus Finnigan" slight pause, " a very close…friend, and…um…"

"Mmm?" Melissa asked.

"That's it, that's it really, um, I mean I do have other friends but that's who I hang around with mostly"

"That's lovely! How are your classes?" her mother asked.

" Fine, but… you know…the wand situation"

"Oh don't you worry about that Miss Katrina" Melissa started, " we've told you millions and millions of times, you can still do whatever they can do with a wand, just-"

"Without it, I know" Kat put down her tea on the dresser, " It's just weird seeing everyone else use it with no problems and I have to pretend to use it and use my other hand to do the spell instead, its just frustrating"

"AH HA!" her mother yelled, completely oblivious to the conversation, " I've found them- the designer dresses, now let me see…"

Her mother had been given lots of designer frocks over the years as gifts from her designer boss and from the fashion shows.

"This one?"

She pulled out a green long dress with beads and long sleeves.

"urm… Nah"

"Right right, too old…this?"

She pulled out a short deep purple dress with frills.

"Strict long dress code, Professor McGonagall"

"Ahh right right, how about this one?"

She pulled out a sparkly yellow dress with a long cut back.

Katrina pulled a face.

"you know what, I have no idea why I accepted this one, oh well"

She dug deeper into the mass of expensive designer clothes until she pulled out one which made Katrina smile and her mother grin in her response.

" Oui, Katrina, I wore this to a Ball I was invited to a couple years back, it is from a very precious collection this is, It was fought over by Oscar nominees for months, but I got the dress instead of the Hollywood a-listers, I think the designer had a bit of a thing of me"

"Its absolutely beautiful" Katrina rubbed the material in her hands , "I'll make sure I'll return to you first owl class"

"Return it? Its yours" Katrina's eyes lit up, " There's no way I'll be able to fit in this anymore, look at that waist! You can keep it darling"

Katrina ran to the bathroom and put on the dress and walked back to the two people eagerly waiting her return.

"Beautiful" They said, sniffling, " I must go get the camera!" said the mother.

" Mmm, I must go get a handkerchief!" said Melissa.

Katrina took a deep breath in and walked over to the mirror, and she smiled.

The dress fitted perfectly on her body, and she noticed how small her waist was against the material. On her small hour glass frame was an elegant floor length red silk dress, the material moved lightly against her body. It was strapless and exposed the curves of her breasts over the heart shaped rim. On the top half was two small lightning bolts of red sequined silk, pointing over her right shoulder. The lines of her toned stomach were visible as they seductively showed underneath the silken dress; working in the gardens had paid off. She bit her cherry lip, which flushed a deeper shade as they complimented her dress, and turned around to inspect the back. It was low cut and fastened by a lick of ribbon, from her pert bottom to the floor.

Katrina felt amazing, and even though the dress was stunning, she felt like it needed something; some jewellery.

She opened and closed many a drawer in her mothers flower covered cabinet and picked up random pieces of jewellery until she found the perfect one snuggled underneath a cashmere jumper. It was a silvery rusted chain, with a small jewel in the middle. It gleamed ruby red against the warm autumn sky and was surrounded by a silver rim.

"Perfect" she said while placing it around her sun kissed neck.

She looked at the clock and swore as she noticed that it was approaching 12 o'clock, and she needed to be back where she was urgently or it could change time for good.

"Mama, Melissa, I need to go" She shouted down the corridors as ran to the bathroom and got changed into her normal clothes, "Thank you for the dress, I will write to you after the Ball to tell you how it went, Au revoir " and she quickly ran to the port key and turned the sand timer three times to the left.

"Draco…_Draco_…Draco…"

"JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!" The blonde cried, his shirt soaked by his freezing cold sweats.

"b-but that's against school ru-"

"Who you talking to, Lav?" said Katrina behind Lavender. Before apparating to France, the girls took a long trip into the small but cosy town of Hogsmeade to find dresses for the next day.

" Eh? B-but you were just standing…"

"Think your going crazy" smiled Katrina.

"But… Gods, lets go back now, I need a shot of Hognouts" said Lavender, and Luna, Cho, Susan and Katrina waded back to the greying castle, with their shopping bags filled with their dress and accessories and their fury boots filling with fluffy white snow.

**Hogwarts, Autumn Term, Sunday 31****st**** October**

The smell of perfumes and cologne filled the corridors as hundreds of students got dressed into their black ties and dresses ready for the Halloween Ball. The sounds of harps and instruments being tuned and practiced on flooded the hallways from the massive music room.

Professor McGonagall had ordered all students to be fully dressed by 7 pm and to start entering the hall with their dates by 7 30 pm.

The Raven, after a long soak in the vanilla scented salts in Forgotten baths, tussled her long hair into sensual up do with a few midnight hairs resting on her neck. She went back to her dorm to smooth her caramel skin with Wellaberry body butter and put on her silk red dress.

It was approaching 6 50 pm and the red sky tinted her skin through the windows. She gazed over the land while applying her mascara and lip gloss and saw Hagrid's hut blissfully puffing grey smoke into the atmosphere.

She then remembered that she took a flower from her mothers dresser in order to give to Hagrid, so she quickly put on her black cloak and ran down to the hut, her heels becoming covered with wet mud and grass.

"Hagrid!" She yelled, peeping over the window of the hut on her tip toes, " can I come in?"

The friendly giant opened the heavy wooden door and let Katrina clip clop her way inside.

"Sorry, I just wondered if you- Hagrid, did you comb your hair?" she asked, removing her hood and looking at his tamed brown beard.

"As a matter of fact, yer, I have" Hagrid said, putting lavender oil in his hair, " Must look me bets tonight yer know, fancy ball an' all"

"Are you telling me you have a date?" Katrina asked, petting Fang's head making her drool.

" Well yer, us ole' timers can have dem as well yer know"

"Oh no I wasn't saying that, I've just never seen you with anyone, who's the lucky woman?"

"If yer must know, Its…someone I met earlier, at the Yule Ball, a French women, the head teacher of-"

"Beuxbatons"

"Yer, that's ther one" Hagrid combed his beard in the mirror again and smiled, " We've been writing to each other, and she was in town so I thought it'll only be polite to ask hur to der Ball wim me"

"a bit of romance blossoming then" Katrina took out the flower from underneath her black cosy rope, " Its great that I got you this then"

She smoothed down his animal skin jacket with her caramel fingers and slid the thin stem of the flower into his brood pocket.

"She'll love that" Katrina smiled.

"Is that- is that a Whistle-rattle? But the only place in the world that grows this is-"

"In France" she said, flicking the flower to make it jingle, " lets just say I know me places"

The boom of the great grandfather clock bellowed from the castle into the night sky of the gardens and into Hagrid hut.

"You best be going now, tanks very much for this" Hagrid grinned, really chuffed by his unexpected gift, and combed the last knot from his fuzzy beard.

She ran back, holding her silk dress and it battled furiously against the wind hitting in her face, and raced back to where the girls lined up to be taken into the hall by their dates at the top stairs near the Great Hall.

The first of the seventh year girls entered the hall, their names being called out by a student as the girl walked down the stairs, who was greeted by their date at the bottom and escorted into the hall.

Katrina, who was behind Cho, exhaled nervously as Cho was next to go down the stairs.

"Cho Chang, escorted by Martina Steele"

"wha what- Martina…I thought it was…Martin A' Steele" Cho whispered behind her shoulder to Katrina, who was frozen on the spot.

"What house?"

"Slytherin"

"There isn't a Martin in Slytherin, only Martina" Katrina whispered back, playing with a midnight curl.

"B-but I-" Katrina gave her a sharp push by the small of her back and Cho reluctantly walked down the stairs to be greeted by her thought-she-was-male date.

"Katrina Mongroe, escorted by Seamus Finnigan" the student called out, and she stood on the top stair and smiled sweetly at Seamus through the glow of the candles. Seamus, who's eyes didn't stay glued on hers for very long, walked slowly down the stairs, while the Irish boy swallowed back a cup of drool.

"Looking loverly t'night Katty" smiled Seamus as he took her by the arm and escorted her to the hall.

The hall was decorated lavishly with black and orange decorations, with black and silver moving ice sculptures of Dracula, Nearly Headless Nick and other Halloween figures dominating the edges of the Hall. In the centre was a large dance floor, covered with students dancing underneath the dizzy strobe lights.

The couple joined Luna and Neville, Cho and Martina, Lavender and Bernie and Susan with Talis and joked and danced with each other for hours into the night. The air became thick with sweat from dancing, and the girls, apart from Lavender, decided to sit down on the round black tables to get a cup of punch.

"Lovely thing, dancing, isn't it?" Luna said, sipping on her raspberry punch.

"Yeah, and I think two people are hitting it off just nicely" said Cho, biting her cup.

"Who?" Katrina asked, looking curiously into the mass of sweaty well-clothed bodies.

Cho had pointed to the couple on the side, furiously grinding up on each other. Wild mousy brown curly hair tangled in the heat as the spikey black haired person bit her neck in pleasure. After a few squints, she could see that it was Lavender and Martina.

"Oh" Katrina said, " I never knew she was bi"

"She isn't" Cho finished, " I don't think she realises, like me"

"love is an odd thing, you find it…and… you don't even know what sex the person you love is" Luna said, waving at Neville. The girls laughed at Luna.

Cho excused herself to go dance with a mysterious brunette who was signalling in her direction.

" Having a good time with Seamus?" Luna said, swaying in her dress.

" Yeah, he's great, really sweet guy, bu-" Katrina said, looking at the hem of her silk dress.

" But not Draco?"

Katrina's heart pulsated under the mention of his name.

"Well…no, but he…he left" memories of them arguing came flooding back, " Pansy keeps on saying how he's never gonna come back and he's staying at his parents for the rest of the year, and-"

"Wait, what?" Luna interrupted, " What are you on about?"

"Pansy said…" Katrina started, totally confused by Luna's confusion.

" But…he didn't leave" Luna looked into Katrina's brown eyes.

"What?" Katrina crushed the plastic cup in her hand unknowingly.

" I don't know what Pansy is talking about…"

" You mean he never left?" she raised her voice a little and looked deep into Luna's purple eyes. Pansy lied about the whole thing.

Lavender, Martina, Seamus, Neville and Cho came out of the heated mass of raving students to get drinks with Katrina and Luna.

"Great night, woo!" Neville said, anything that involved dancing Neville loved.

"Yer, you 'avin a great time, babe?" Seamus said, putting his arm around Katrina's glittering shoulder.

Katrina wasn't listening, as she was staring at Pansy as her expression laid blank.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna…" she lifted his arm off her and began to run out of the hall and into the corridors.

How could she be so stupid? Why did she listen to Pansy? Of all the girls to listen to she was not one of them. For two weeks Katrina had been wondering if she'd done something wrong to influence Draco's random leaving. She'd been wanting to tell him how sorry she was, for nothing, or maybe for kissing Seamus, she didn't know. But a big part of her wanted to scream at him for being such a dick to her at Hogsmeade station; ripping apart her flesh at the Quiditch match on the very first day; and completely ignoring her for the whole term. She wanted an explanation; now.

She kicked off her heels and ran down the corridor so fast that the candles flickered gently behind her. She held the thin silk between her firm grip, her body furiously pulsating with hot angry blood.

She ran down the corridors for ages until she began to long spiral staircase going to the very top floor; the Slytherin Common Room.

The man in the suit of armour portrait was ajar, and It took a little push from Katrina's heel to open it.

" Draco? Draco? Where are you? Urgh!" she yelled, searching the green and black decorated room, the green fire crackling softly in the background.

Without much warning, an ear piercing cry rumbled her ear drums, like a wounded animal. Forgetting Draco for a moment, she raced out of the warm Common Room and followed the distressed cries.

She ran down the freezing stair case, her face slowly draining anger and refuelling with the slight feeling of concern. She followed the now soft whimpers through the empty corridors, darting her eyes madly across the space for any sign of a person.

The whimpering had stopped, causing her to stop in her tracks and catch her breath, her rose coloured necklace rising and falling on her chest. She listened intently, until she heard the soft sounds of the word " no" exit from a saddened mouth.

She followed the sounds to the Astronomy Tower, the giant clock hand swaying in the middle on the grey balcony. She looked around, every object tinted by the dark navy sky, and saw a person rocking back and forth on the marble balcony, his hair looked black and blew violently in the wind. She walked slowly, not to startled him, and looked for any signs that pointed to his identity. He lifted his head from his lap a little, and saw a faint scar ran from his pale neck which was covered by the blood of a million cries.

She knew, from the scar, that it was him.

"Draco" she whispered, holding her necklace nervously underneath her grip.

He jumped up, his school shirt drenched with fear and his face pale and red like he was severely neglected. He looked completely terrified while looking around obsessively the balcony, gulping and swallowing his fear under his pale skin.

"Who's there" he said, his quivering lip making his words hard to comprehend.

" Draco, its…me… katri-"

"_**Sectumsempra**__!" _the moonlit blonde yelled, a scarlet flame darted out of his wand and cracked the marble wall, causing Katrina to fall hard on the solid ground.

She hid behind a sliver statue as she watched him limp around, looking for the intruder. She saw him squint at her, his eyes puffy and coated with gunk.

"_**Confringo!**_" He screamed, the statue exploded and burst into flames as the panicky Griffindor crawled hopelessly away. Her heart raced underneath the dirt ridden silk as she panicked for a hiding spot.

She was completely helpless, as she didn't have her wand on her to pretend to use so her secret couldn't be exposed.

She laid flat on the ground, with the giant clock wand blowing wind, drying the sweat from her forehead and making her mouth go dry.

"_**Impedimenta!**_" the distressed Slytherin darted his wand and shouted various curses and jinx's around the darkened and broken Astronomy Tower.

The Griffindor cried out and began to run, her cut cherry lip dripping thick blood onto her pounding chest.

"_**STUPEFY!**_" the distressed blonde cried, his abdominal muscles pounding through his wet shirt.

"_Expelliarmus_!" she threw a heavy hand at him, causing him to fly and spin meters in the air before crashing hard on the balcony under the thunderous sky.

She stared at him behind a broken pillar, wiping a string of blood harshly from her chin.

He laid still, crying so hard that no sound came out; but the silence was too loud for her. His face was covered in bruises, and his ghostly white skin drained away all essence of Draco, which left a mass of insecurities sobbing helplessly underneath the needle-hard rain. The thick pelting rain ran in-between the tight contours of his sore face, washing away the last bit of himself underneath the lightning.

" just FUCK OFF" he screamed, talking straight into the rain.

"stop it, STOP IT STOP IT!" he scratched at his skin, " LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!" he tore at his hair, " I hate you , hate hate hate hate hate hate! go away go away go away!" he rocked back and forth and bit hard into his hand.

Katrina put her hand to her face and chocked back the tears, she could feel the fear inside him; the fear that conquered him.

After a long moment, she braved the first steps to approach him, to comfort him. She opened her mouth to speak a couple of times but found no words to say.

" Draco…" She started, looking straight at the rocking thin figure.

The Slytherin looked up, staring hard at the space next to her.

" No, no no no" He stood up, shaking his head violently and stumbling backward.

" I don't wanna join, I do not I don't" his body started to shake vigorously.

Suddenly, a large siren sounded through the entire school, the sounds of screams and shrieks flooded their ears. She could see black gushes of wind in the air, blowing into the school, making windows crack and have terrified screams of students.

"Draco, we need to go!"

"No! no no no! you cant make me join! " He was still staring into space, "I wont I wont!"

"take my hand, please Draco!"

" leave me ALONE!"

Suddenly, through the loud cries of students and thunder and the cracks of lightning, he ran through the rain, crying hysterically and threw himself over the balcony.

"DRACO!" The Griffindor screamed for the longest time through the bright flash of lightning, her eyes stinging with red tears as she pierced the sky with the last image of Draco.


	7. Promise: Good Morn

_**Chapter 7- Promise; Good Morn**_

The black abyss had plagued over; everything. Everywhere. Everyone.

Every inch of reality was smothered by a thick sheet of total nullity. It felt like a boulder had crashed down and drained any tenacity of the past, future and present.

Time didn't exist.

Black moulding clotted blood seeped through the congealed eyelashes and onto the weeping greying eye that laid frozen underneath the arctic frozen expanse of ash white skin.

The pain had fallen between the cracks under the mind-blowing numbness that succumbed his entire body. He whimpered dearly between the heavy breaths he took in-between his dried lips, but found this task very difficult to do.

He coughed quietly, the syrupy phlegm gluing his raw throat together, but he found no relief; no way to breath better.

He felt a warm sensation travel around his upper arm, twisting and tightening his wounded skin after every second.

He tried to wake himself up; but the furthest he got was wiggling a big toe and moving his chin a little. He sighed nimbly, cracking the barriers of sticky mucus lodged in his throat, and moved his head a fraction to the right.

The hard raise and fall of his lungs struggled for room underneath the heavy ribs of his chest ,weakly holding its structure together.

A long hair tickled his nose and felt a comfortable rush of warmth cover his face, defrosting his facial muscles so he could wiggle and waken the stiffened muscles.

He heard the gentle pitter-patter of water to the right of him, moving his eyebrows slowly and swallowing once as he felt warm water leak from a soft substance, gently circling and wiping away the thick blood and sleep that clogged his eyes and eyelashes together.

Draco didn't even wonder who was doing this; he only sat still and let the person gently massage and care for him.

After a moment of massaging and cleansing, he was able to tenderly open both eyes half-lidded, the unfamiliar light stinging his eyes and tear ducts.

A thin tear ran down his face, and fell straight onto his cracked upper lip. He mildly opened his mouth to say something, but no words could come out. The person, through reddened swollen eyes, slowly brushed away the tear with a finger and wiped away a bubble of salvia that rested on his bottom lip.

His grey eyes were heavily dilated, and stared onto the soft face of the kind carer, his eyes lingering over hers, trying desperately to recognise her.

She placed the bowl of blood laced water and piece of worn silk on the floor beside her, and looked back into his weary face. His eyes darted all around hers, looking terribly and miserably disconcerted; full of confusion of who she was.

She looked deeply into his face, absorbing every emotions through her burning brown eyes, and brushed back his fringe behind his ear. She looked into his pools of grey ice, realised she was a stranger to his eyes.

His lip began to quiver with blood pumping anxiety and eyes began to fill with water; she couldn't seem him like this; she couldn't hold it back any longer.

She tried desperately to be strong for him; not letting him see her weakness and sorrow for him, but it was too much.

She cried silently into his shoulder, placing a hand on his waist loosely so it wouldn't hurt his fragile body.

He brought his arm up to hers, and under shaking fingers searched around for her hand. She brought her hand lower, just on his stomach, and he gripped tightly onto her hand, like a lost boy latching onto a trunk of a tree for search of safety.

The violent images of Draco going over the balcony was too much for her to cope with, too much for anyone to cope with or anyone to ever witness. He seemed thoroughly brain damaged, with no recollection of anything; where he was, who he was with and who he was.

Her tears soddened his chest, and his dampened the top of her scalp. She felt shakes underneath her head, transmitted by Draco's silent but violent sobs through his chest.

She brought her head up to his forehead, and gently pressed a lingering kiss to it, for a attempted to calm him down. It seemed to work, as he fluttered his eyes shut and steadied his breath, slowing down his heavy sobbing. He ran his hand through her hair and gripped it tightly as a response, as if he was saying he trusted her. He sniffled and swallowed before a slow yawn escaped his tear-soaked lips.

He let go of her hair and stroked her arm softly, allowing himself to loose his fear through his fingertips slowly brushing her skin. She gently repositioned herself so she was by his side on the floor, resting her head on her outstretched arm. Her free hand wondered above his head, gently stroking moon blessed blonde hair out of his face and brushed it over the back of his head.

She watched as his erratic sobs slowly quietened and placed a soft kiss on the tip of his jaw behind his ear. His eyelids drooped, before closing completely and slowly began to fall asleep to the rhythmic strokes of her hand through the locks his hair.

_**Two Hours Later**_

A cold breeze brushed against Draco's frozen blueing skin, causing him to shiver deep through his bones. He stirred and stretched out his arm and placed it on the cool ground behind his head. He gazed at his surroundings, which bared little objects.

The room was fairly small, with bare dark wooden walls and matching floor with jaggered nails sticking out. It had no furniture, apart from an old green and brown armchair which had the stuffing ripped out of it and the seat cracked in two. Dust clogged the air and fell from the old fashioned curtains that framed the three long windows overlooking a clear field with two forests at either side.

He felt so weak that blinking was like he was lifting weights on his eyes. He arched his back slowly to get out the kinks in his back from sleeping on the hard splintered wood beneath him. He grabbed hold of his hair and looked around , desperately trying to gather any information of what he was doing in this room.

"Good Morning" whispered the Gryffindor, emerging into the room. She looked at his weak body, which glistened underneath the white glow of the moon on him. Draco didn't respond, and looked blankly at her face and out of the window.

"I know, it's only early, about 2, 3 o'clock I reckon" She sniffled and brushed her hair so it fell on her chest. She had gained her composure and had to sink deep down into the bottom of her soul to find the last piece of emotional strength she had in her, for Draco's sake.

She walked towards him and sat by his side, the same side she laid when she watched him sleeping. She opened the bandage of red silk that was tight around his upper arm, and began to clean the wound. He sucked the air between his teeth, and she looked at him and smiled, which made him trust her again. She massaged and dabbed at the open flesh, removing any signs of dirt from the infectious area. Draco heard a large rip as she tore at her dress, ripping a long piece of silk and bandaged his arm with it. She redressed the other bandages, from his right thigh, his left ankle, and his left wrist.

She brushed her hand through his hair once more and accidentally grazed over a bleeding bump on his head, making Draco wince. She pulled another piece from the hem of dress and wrapped it around her finger and dipped it in the water and cleaned the wound.

She checked him a couple of times, to see if he was okay. His lips were parted on his strong profound jaw, and she could hear the soft wheezing of his breaths through his clogged throat. He was like a baby, completely helpless and befuddled by the world around him. She noticed a little dab of blood seeping and soaking his school shirt, so she breathed in deeply and began unbuttoning her shirt. She knew it was completely in appropriate, but she couldn't help but admire the slim muscular torso exposed to her. His skin was silky and bruised, and his toned abdominal muscles moved under his milky white skin so perfectly the bruises almost where non existent .

Paying attention to his soft wheezes ,she went back out of the room and into the kitchen to bring him a glass of water.

She came back and slid a hand at the back of his head to prop it up as she brought the glass to his lips. He took a couple of gurgled sips before a trail of water fell out of the corner of his mouth and chased down his beauteous skin.

She watched as it travelled down his torso as his back arched and he groaned in the cold shock, as the trickling water fell in-between the lines of his abs and down the grooved contour of his pointed hip bone. Without any silk this time, she lightly pressed her nimble fingers on his hip bone, and smudged the trickle of water up his torso, up his hard chest, over his neck and chin and wiped at the corner of his mouth, slowly flicking his bottom lip.

He took a finger and caressed the skin from her neck to the tip of her chin. He scrunched his eyebrows and looked deep in her chocolate brown glare, but was still mentally blocked by a numb brick wall.

"mmph…where…whe…" his first words spilled from his tired jaw.

"I don't know" she took his hand from her face and placed in on his chest, "somewhere safe"

He moved his jaw a couple of times.

" Shhh" she brought his shirt together and smoothed the creases, " everything will be okay, I promise"

A couple of minutes later, a ample dinging noise sounded garishly from another room, sounding like a clogged grandfather clock.

Suddenly, in a flurry of green smoke, a letter popped out of the blackened fireplace at the back of the room. She picked up the letter and read it to herself:

_**To the perturbed students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,**_

_**Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you from all the staff at Hogwarts for showing such valiant behaviour and patience at this difficult period in time.**_

_**As you are fully aware, the School was attacked prior the early hours of Monday morning by Death Eaters searching the school for reasons unknown.**_

_**Under the Wizarding Protection Act 1881, we have full rights to apparate students within the proximity of 5 metres of each other In homes randomly across the United Kingdom, purely for your protection.**_

_**Wizards and Witches under 17 have full rights to use Magic, using the 'Pario' charm for any items that are necessary for yourself and the student(s) you are with. You are not permitted to leave the house, as the house is charmed for your protection so no one can enter or leave the house, including owls.**_

_**Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, we can not administer a date for your return, as the school is being thoroughly checked by Aurors from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as a student has gone, regrettably to say, missing. **_

_**Another letter will be released in a couple of hours updating you with recent news on your return and the conditions at Hogwarts. **_

_**We unconditionally apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you, and please use the spell above for dark chocolate, as this will help with the motion sickness and dizziness from Apparation.**_

_**Hoping you are well,**_

_**Professor McGonagall and the staff **_

_**P.S Also for your protection, this letter will combust in 30 seconds. **_

She threw the letter high in the air and watched as it burst into flames and the ashes fall to the ground.

She looked back at Draco, who was stroking his stomach, and kneeled beside him.

"We're going to be alright, this house is very, very safe" she tried to reassure him, but he didn't respond.

"Hungry?" she asked, tossing her hair over her ear so it didn't fall into Draco's face.

He looked at her for a minute, glancing at her lips, and lightly nodded.

"Anything you fancy?" she asked, but again, he nodded.

Luckily, she knew what he liked to eat from watching him at dinner time at Hogwarts.

"_Pario Swedish Herring and cardamom potatoes, extra butter and knife and fork"_

The plate landed on her lap, the heady aromas of dill and melted butter filled her nostrils. She took a small piece of the fish on the fork and rested it on Draco's bottom lip, signalling him to open. While he ate, he never took his eyes of hers. Normally, she would of found his glare seductive, but she knew he was looking at her in a different way; a way in which he tried to piece together the puzzles in his head from the instructions in her eyes. This didn't bother her, and she continued to feed him and stop in-between to give him water. He shivered, and the Griffindor placed her knuckles on his cheek; he was freezing.

"_Pario blankets and pillows"_

She placed the pillows around his body and threw a long cream blanket over him. " Better?" she asked, hoping for a verbal response. She didn't get one.

A heavy silence fell, and she had a million and one things to say to him, but knew she wouldn't get a response.

But if one thing was for sure, she didn't care about anything that happen before, everything she was going to say to him, as it didn't matter; the fact that he was still alive was a miracle and she saw this as a new beginning.

" How are you feeling?" she said, rubbing his shoulder. He did nothing but moved his mouth open and close it again.

"It's okay, you'll be okay, we'll be okay" she said, looking back into his blank eyes and smiling to reassure her words were positive.

"_Pario Lit Candles" _She whispered, and the floor scattered with candles; vanilla scented.

Her lip started to shake and eyes glaze with tears again, under the sight of this lost, fragile soul next her. She took a deep breath, determined not to cry, as she was certain this would put stress on his already weak state of mind.

" Don't feel scared, Draco, I'm right by you, I will never leave your sight, and if I leave this room, I will only be in the kitchen or bathroom. B- but count to thirty, and I'll be right next to you before you can say the last number"

He looked around the room and gulped, sighing deeply, making her face tingle.

"_Pario Hukana Herbal Tea" _and she brought the green mug to his lips " Please, drink" she whispered, encouraging him to open his mouth by opening hers.

He took a sip, only to pull a face, making her smile and silently chuckle.

"Not very nice I know, but it has Ginkgo biloba, ginseng and gota kola in it, very good for your memory, must make you a strong boy, yes?" she said, her maternal instincts kicking in, " I'll put some sugar in it for you"

Strangely, Katrina was very calm in this very unusual situation; she had to be; for him. It was like looking after a baby, and he even looked like one, with his messy hair and plump baby pink lips pouting at her. She didn't care what she looked like, or if she was bleeding herself; she just cared for Draco. His life was in her hands. He was her's to look after, and he didn't mind letting her looked after him at all. Definitely not the qualities of a Slytherin.

A moment of silence past, while Draco glared at the soft flickers of candles around him in the dark room.

"What's your name?" she asked, laying down next to him with her torn dress rising up against her slender thighs. She tried to put on the happiest front she could think of, so she smiled.

"mphh…" he mumbled through his shut jaw.

"When's your birthday?"

"oo….mphh…one…eight…"

"what school do you go to?"

" …five"

She chuckled, half playfully and half sobbing, as a cover to keep back her tears, " yeah, five."

"Maybe it's time to go to sleep, little babe" she whispered in his ear, pulling the blanket over his shoulders.

He gazed out of the window for a while, as the pink and orange glow covered his face, forcing a slow smile to curve his lips. She looked curiously over her shoulder.

"Sun? You want to watch the sunrise?" Being used to receiving the silent treatment, she searched his face for any twitches that would give her a unperceived answer; he smiled.

She propped up the boy so he was looking out of the window, fussing over angle of the pillows and the blanket over his warming body.

They both stared out of the dew-kissed windows, admiring the colours that filled the cold damp air. Suddenly, the first proper movement he made in a while, he took the blanket from his left shoulder and placed it over hers, and she scooted over and pressed herself in Draco's warm pale skin.

"_Pario hot chocolate, with marshmallows, whipped cream and Cinnamon" _She said, and she fed herself and Draco the warm hot chocolate through the gentle flicks of the candle, while watching the pink and Satsuma dusted sun creep over the distant fields to wish the couple Good Morn.


	8. Promise: Little Babe

**_Chapter 7 Part 2 Promise; Little Babe_**

The way the moon glistened on his pale complexion every night was comforting and yet so strange; it was as if the moon was looking over him; the way he stared at the moon was as if he was being cradled by the soft white glow.

It had been exactly five days since Hogwarts apparated the distressed students to a dirty and terribly abandoned house, somewhere on top of a charming hill.

With every little bit of magical energy she had left in her, the Griffindor had tried countless times to try and apparate the distressed Blonde to St Mungo's Hospital as they could give the attention he desperately needed, but every time she tried she was bounced back a couple of metres in the air and electrocuted by a fierce green spark.

Even in the odd situation they were in, It was nice knowing that they had each other for company; and it was a perfect opportunity to, at least try, to get to know each other.

She had gotten used to Draco's limited speech; in fact, he hardly said anything at all.

But, in some way, she knew what he meant by his slight facial twitches or muscle movements; they had subconsciously invented their own language. Mainly, any question would be replied with one blink for 'no' and two blinks for 'yes', and he would curl his fingers gently over her elbow or just above her left knee to tell her he felt scared.

She didn't mind this, but the one thing that still made her eyes swell was his hysterical crying during the blank night. She hated seeing anyone cry, but especially this lost soul that she felt unexplainable instant love for the moment she laid eyes on him.

Through his uncontrollable sobbing, he would start mumbling short, almost incomprehensible phrases like " My fault" and " No more". She didn't understand why he would say this, but was quietly thankful that he spoke at all.

She would slowly bring him into her warm, slightly scented chest, which he responded by forming into a tight ball of limbs, nuzzled his head into the hollow of her neck and fall back to sleep, while she would quietly sob on the top of his head and internally beg for any form of help.

The mornings were a lot easier as they would watch the sunrise, which Draco loved. She couldn't work out why exactly; but whatever made him feel at ease was brilliant.

He wouldn't cry during the day, but would express the odd tremor and whimper now and then. These noises could be calmed down by some candy, fresh blueberries, hot Swiss chocolate or simply a cuddle. Katrina put up some paintings and books and flowers around the room carefully, as any harsh sudden noises made him jump and look around the room nervously, which was a contrast to his normal position of sitting still, his body numb by the thick fog blocking his way.

The Griffindor tried countless times to make Draco respond by playing cards or chess or reading a book, which he used to loved playing after classes in the West Wing Tower, but nothing seemed to work.

She tried asking him the same questions over and over again, but he tensed his eyebrows and bit his lip, and look at her in a way to say ' I'm trying', in which she would reply in their own language by placing a soft kiss on his ear, as if saying ' I know'.

Draco was slumped against the wall with his hands in-between his thighs, titling his head to look at Katrina, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.

Brushing her midnight locks over her slender shoulder, she started to change his bandages that she did regularly; which he didn't particularly enjoy, as he didn't like people touching his scars.

She took his cold foot in her hands and placed it on her knee, and slowly began to take off the bloodied dressing. She wrapped a fresh medicinal bandage around his foot and looked up at Draco; she noticed how his eyes were getting brighter; so bright they turned a beautiful shimmering silver colour. She gazed into them, hoping this was a sign that he recognises her, but he never gave any facial twitches or signals to point to her correctness.

Through the air, a bright fiery light flashed through the fireplace, scattering ash on the already dusted ground. Another letter from Hogwarts came out, with the envelope completely covered in blackened smog.

She moved Draco's foot off her steadily and picked up the letter, wincing and then licking her finger as a response to how hot it was. It read:

_**Dear Students,**_

_**We apologise for the lack of messages being delivered, as we have been hindered by a problem involving the exposition of the letters being mailed to the students via the Underground Mail Network.**_

_**We unfortunately have no recent news on the disappearance of one of our students, who can now be identified as Bernie Artwright. We urge any student with any useful information to write a letter back to us via Hogwarts Underground Mail Network. **_

_**Once again, we apologise to you as we cannot give a date to return to Hogwarts as yet, but will keep you updated on any recent changes.**_

_**Yours Sincerely,**_

_**Professor McGonagall and Staff**_

She swore under her breath and threw the letter back into the fire, and watched in Draco's eyes the reflection of harsh blast of light that came from it.

She hadn't changed her clothes in the past five days, as she was too preoccupied with the soul that needed her constant attention.

Draco watched her womanly figure inventively move under her ripped dress as she moved toward him.

Draco's face tingled as she pressed her face against his ear.

"Bath time little babe" she whispered, and took out her hand for him to hold and smiled.

She pulled him up with one hand on his waist and helped walk him up the stairs and into the bathroom.

She had already put hot water and bubbles in it, and heard soft whimpers spill from Draco as he inhaled the heated air. She waggled her finger through the water to test the temperature and placed eight drops of Vanilla and Magnolia essence in-between the mountains of blue bubbles that almost spilt over the cream bath.

She turned around to help Draco unbutton his shirt, which was slowly becoming damp in the heat. She had to hold him a couple of times to get him steady, as he was swaying constantly trying desperately to keep his balance. As she pulled the wet shirt from his slender torso, she simultaneously swallowed as she gazed at his milky slender torso, which was slightly damp from the warm heat and little droplets of water had rested in the hairs which fell from underneath his navel to just above his black school trouser waist band.

She undid his trousers and pulled down his underwear and quickly turned her head, only looking again when she heard the water ripple to signal his submersion in the warm water.

For the first time in days, she admired how comfortable he looked in the water; he was still completely lost, but looked _calm._ She let him get used to the temperature before summoning a flannel, shampoo and a sponge and began to lather his silky hair.

"It's nice having a relaxing bath, isn't it?" she said, massaging shampoo in his scalp, " In fact, I might have one after you, It's nice to feel warm and the tickles of the bubbles around you" She repositioned herself so her elbow was on the edge of the bath and rested her hand on her chin.

"feeling ready for some questions again?" she asked, turning her head so she caught the Slytherin's glare, and he looked deep in her eyes and blinked twice.

"right" She smiled, lathering his shoulder with lavender soap, "What's your name?"

He thought hard and pulled at his toes.

"Dr…Mm…"

"Nearly there" she scrubbed behind his neck, " Where do you live?"

"Mnn..na..o…"

"it's a bit tricky I know" she pulled his arm up and scrubbed it, " how about…When's your-"

Her mouth stopped moving and her eyebrows sealed together as her eyes stung from staring at a patch of red and torn skin that laid on the inner skin from his elbow to his wrist.

It was bloody and inflamed, and was scarred with deep cuts and horrible scabs that looked bloody painful. Underneath, she could faintly see a deathly black outline of some sort, teasing its way through the reddened skin and infusing with Draco's milky flesh.

"_Shit"_ she whispered, her eyes darting all over the scar, " _You've…you've been cutting yourself"_

Draco, becoming panic stricken by her worried glare, looked over at his arm and shook his head, forcing his body to move in jerked movements which was uncontrollable to stop. A floods worth of tears escaped his face and he began to have a panic attack, splashing water everywhere and making Katrina trying to hold Draco back.

" DRACO- DRACO -PLEASE- IT-IT'S OKAY, PLEASE, YOUR SAFE SHH SHH" she had to raise her voice through the loud sobbing and violent bodily movements and splashing.

She grabbed his face, looking into his grey quivering eyes, and pressed her forehead to his, breathing gently, making the tip of Draco's nose tingle.

He calmed down and held the warm feminine hands that were pressed firm on his cheeks " It's okay, I'm here, nothings going to get you, I promise" A warm tear fell from her eye and tickled Draco's cheeks, " I'll never leave you"

She quickly wrapped Draco around in a towel and summoned a fresh pin-stripped shirt and a pair of light pale blue jogging bottoms for him to get dressed in, and took him down stairs to settle him in his homemade bed of blankets, duvets, cushions and fluffy pillows.

The scar made her think of the night of the Halloween Ball and what the bloody hell had been happening to make him jump off the balcony, and what he was doing in the two weeks in which she thought he had left.

One things for sure, she had a hell of a lot to say to Pansy- why the hell did she lie about him leaving? Yes, she caught her looking at her boyfriend a couple of times, but was lying about him really necessary? And why did she always seem to mention it when she or her Griffindor friends are in the room? And if she knew he was locked away in his bedroom for two whole weeks why didn't she help him? She felt like killing her.

She thought back to the day of him randomly leaving without any reasoning, and felt stupid in not wondering what was going on to make his rash decision.

Wherever he planned on going to see his father, he needed to be there; _now. _

He needs to see his family, and be around a network of people who love him; loved ones which would hopefully that will provoke some memories for him. But what the hell would she say to them? He ran and threw himself off the balcony, goodbye? If his family is anything like what she's heard pureblood families to be, she might as well stick a bulls eye on her chest and say " shoot". They would blame her for his decision as _she _was the last one to see him that night.

She needed help; _they _needed help.

The Griffindor didn't want to admit it, but she was getting weak. She hadn't slept for days as she was on constant guard over Draco to make sure he was alright, and had a automatic body alarm so that any sudden movements that Draco made when pressed into her body suddenly made her wake up and stare intensively at him. She hadn't bathed, eaten properly, changed into fresh clothes or checked herself for any wounds as she was too busy watching over her blonde soul. She was even too afraid to boil the kettle; just in case the whistling startled Draco in any way.

Five minutes later, with the sun way past settling, she woke up, realising that she fell asleep for at least twenty minutes, looked around the partly decorated room and found no sign of Draco.

"Dra- Draco? Draco!" she called, looking as the room panicking, " W-where are you?"

He appeared from behind the door from the hallway, looking oddly and confusingly mischievous, brushing his long locks of damp hair in-between his slender fingers. He limped over, piercing her eyes with his, with his right hand behind his back and his left hand slipping fingers into the top of his jogging bottoms waist band.

Draco, looking down at the confused girl, took his right hand from behind his back and presented her a bowl with cereal in it.

Katrina, having to blink a couple of times to make sure she wasn't still in a state of sleep, and took the bowl from him, and began to eat them as quick as she could; she almost forgot just how hungry she was.

"Where did you get these from?" she asked, her hunger subsiding allowing her to float back to reality.

Draco didn't reply, but instead swayed closer to the ravenous student, who stood up and grabbed him by the biceps in an attempt to stop him from falling backwards.

He looked down at her through his silver eyes, standing nose to nose to the Gryffindor, smirked a little and took his fingers in-between his shirt and began to unbutton it, exposing more and more of his taught torso.

She glanced straight ahead, and took in the warm scent of his skin and vanilla essence drops from the hot bath. She watched him breathing from the hallow of his neck, and admired the blonde freckles that tickled across his collar bone. Her eyes were drifting down his chest, looking at the turquoise glistening necklace that laid there, when a thumb touched her chin and brought her head up to meet his. He opened his shirt, reached over her shoulders and pulled her deliciously long wavy in front of her chest.

He spun her around, and she felt the gentle fingertips pull at the red silk ribbon that held her dress together. She turned her head around to meet his eyes, and he smiled; exactly what she did to him for communication. He slowly untied and pulled away the ribbon, and with his two little fingers, pushed the dress down until it met her ankles.

She stood with her naked back facing him, only wearing a red gem necklace and lacy black underwear with a silver ribbon that weaved between the lace that glistened in the moonlight.

He spun her back around, and she looked at his feet with her holding her chest in her arms, and sensing that she felt slightly embarrassment and taken aback, he pulled her head up by his finger, and never took his eyes off hers. He removed the shirt from his body, and placed it over her back, and, loosing all of her fear, let go of her chest and pushed her arms in the sleeves. He began buttoning his shirt on her, which was far too big for her with shoulders dropping down her arms and the hem of the shirt gently resting under the curve of her bottom. He buttoned her shirt, never looking at her body but eyes still glued on hers. She pushed up the sleeves until they reached her elbows, and he looked at her swollen lips and reddened cheeks, watching the skin getting warmer in the gentle candle flickers.

She helped him sit down next to her by the fire, covering the area with silk pillows. He laid down across the floor and rested his head on the pillow by her knee, as she knelt over him and smiled and brushed a few strands of hair behind his head. She did the same, and laid her head down on his hips, and threw her arm over his tight stomach. He began stroking her knee, whispering beginning of words but not quite a whole word.

"_What's your name_" she whispered, staring at the skin underneath his chin.

"_Draco" _he whispered back, reaching down and pushing his hair through the beautiful head of hair that laid on his hips.

She smiled, and stroked a line of skin from his navel to his defined hip bone, " and _mine?" _

"_Little babe" _he whispered, and stroked the soft skin of her rosy cheeks, "_my little babe"_

Just this once, they broke the habit of watching the sun settling and rising and she didn't need to wake up once in the night due to his crying, because he didn't, but instead had a peaceful sleep against the gentle crack and hiss of the fireplace.


	9. Breaking the Shattered Glass

_**Chapter 8 **_

**Breaking the Shattered Glass**

"Left"

"Right"

"Up"

"Down"

"Male"

"Female"

"Dogs"

"Cats"

"Black"

"White"

"Different shades of blue"

"Bl- bl... that's not fair"

"I did tell you though"

"No...Really? Oh for Merlins sake, I can't bloody believe it, I really that I was getting b-"

"Gotcha"

"...So cruel"

"I know"

"Next one then"

"Hmm, I think you've done enough for one day...fancy a chocolate frog, yes?"

"No"

"oh? Really?"

"not really"

"so you want one, yes?"

"No"

Draco giggled as a pillow came and smashed him in the face, sending the finest goose feathers flying across the room. He had felt amazing the past week of the two weeks they had been stuck in a horrid confined house that cried for attention and a lick of paint. No, he still didn't remember much, heck, he couldn't even tell you what he did ten minutes ago if she asked him. Details of his personality, his girlfriend, his house, and every year of Hogwarts from year one was still a complete blur, so asking questions about his scar on his forearm and his evident psychotic episode didn't even cross Katrina's mind.

Bubbles in the bath, aromatherapy oils and certain tastes and smells sent his mind in overdrive and he would tell her random stories of his childhood, like how he would put bubbles on his head and shoulders and say "Narcissa, fetch me my cane!" in resemblance to his father, and how ecstatic he was at his 7th Christmas when 'Uncle' Snape presented him with his first Professor Mugoosely's Potions Set, and they would spend hours making pretend- and some real under the strict supervision of Severus- potions that would evaporate when poured or turn into a rainbow cloud that floated across the room.

It was obvious that Draco still thought he was 7, and would probably laugh if told he was soon to be 17. His child like demeanour made Katrina slightly nervous, as she hoped this was just part of the healing process after a brain trauma, but at least he spoke to her. She found it funny at how a week ago, she was crying and begging that he would talk, but now, she can't seem to find a way to shut him up.

Katrina had read a couple of healing books, titles that she had to think hard of the name of, seeing as she has only seen Madame Pomfrey once walking about the corridors tightly holding 'Madam Fredrick's Healings incantations and potions', and once she read that, she read the sequel, which she found really easy to comprehend and practice, and was slightly surprised at how many healing spells could be practiced at student level- maybe she taught Healing classes somewhere in the school grounds.

Katrina found one that sealed his wounds completely, unlike the ones she tried before which only healed for a couple of hours and made Draco complain of a stinging sensation.

"This one tingles" Draco exclaimed, currently paralysed on the floor while Katrina casted a green healing spell over his entire body.

"Good, it means it's working then" she smiled, watching the last of his wounds slowly sealing, leaving a faint scar mark, "hopefully you won't feel any pain now"

"Thanks" Draco smiled, propping his body so his back was against the wall. "Urm...Little babe..."

Katrina chuckled, as she has been trying to tell him that her name is Katrina, but it won't sink in, "Yes Draco?"

"Why don't you use your wand when you do these awesome spells?"

Katrina gave a nervous cough continuing the healing charm, "Urm...I'm...special"

"Special?" Draco scrunched his eyebrows as the bird in the clock whistled its tune, "like, special like... werewolves and grindylows and stuff?"

"Yeah, something like that" she smiled, taking his arm in hers and kissing away the last visible scar, "there, all gone"

Draco smiled, which still gave Katrina little butterflies in her stomach at the strangeness of Draco being capable of pulling such a face, opened his arms and threw himself on Katrina's warm shoulders. She hugged him back, taking in his own unique fragrance mingled with the fresh sweet nectar of blueberries from breakfast.

"I wish you could do something like that to my head, It's hurting like mad"

"Is it? I'll try something later...I bet you're glad you don't have to wear those horrid bandages any more though, eh?"

Draco let go and began walking across the room, stepping on his extra long trouser legs on the way, "mmm...Kinda, I hate them, but I also thought they were kinda cool"

"Oh? Well, soon we'll be back at Hogwarts, and you can tell your friends all about them"

Draco stopped and turned back to look at Katrina; for any signs of her joking. She was far too familiar with that face he pulled; she read right through to his core and inhaled the unimaginable scents of confusion.

"Draco, I-"

"No" He moved away his hands as she tried to grab them, " It's okay, I-I just...what are their names?" Draco asked, dragging a heavy hand through his moonlit hair.

"Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy... but Pansy is... is more of a friend"

"she's my best friend, a girl?" Draco pulled a funny face and fiddled with the string of his jogging bottoms.

"No, shes your... girlfriend"

Draco bloated his cheeks, just like a four year old would do when presented with a bowl of sprouts. "Really? Ick" Draco exclaimed, sticking out his tongue. Katrina laughed at his child like reaction, and crawled over to him, having no energy to walk, and tied his string tighter to stop them falling down even further past his structured hips as they already were.

"hows she like" he called, completely ignoring her laughter for her to answer his pondering questions.

**She's a little selfish twat who wouldn't know sense if it jumped up and bit her on the ass.**

"well...she's a Slytherin, so..." Katrina searched through herself to find any positive to say about her, for Draco's sake- she found none. "well to be honest Draco she's a little c- clingy" she said at the last minute, to stop herself from saying anything more than she should.

Draco, looking down at the top of Katrina's head as she tied his strings, couldn't help but race his index finger through her deliciously long hair.

"So why am I with her? Do I like, love her or something?" Draco asked, watching Katrina move back into the shadow on the dusted ground.

"I don't really know- on both questions" Katrina replied, burying her chin in the top of her baggy t shirt, and while breathing in could still smell the odd hints of Draco.

Draco stared at her, his grey eyes admiring her heart shaped face, then began to pace up towards to dusty painting hanging lopsided on the wall and back towards to the pile of pillows and blankets that was their bed.

A piercing intake of air was sucked through Draco's shut jaw as he pressed the palm of his head heavily on his left temple.

"OW" he screamed, his face screwed tightly with sharp pain travelling through his head, and accidently tripped on his trouser leg, causing him to go flying into the Gryffindor's exhausted body.

"mph-Draco!" she squealed, as he knocked the wind out of her. She grabbed his waist and pulled him onto her lap, his body heating her skin, and Draco nuzzled his blonde head in the crook of her open neck, wanting desperately for the pain to go away. He dragged his nails down her arms- the pain was too intense.

She pulled his chin up so she could see his entire face- his expression was unbearable.

She was used to him having small outbreaks of noise, but never, ever, has he looked this much in pain, his pale face getting even paler as the pain pumping through the veins in his head becoming excruciating.

"Draco, Draco, Dr- please" she sobbed, rocking his fragile body back and forwards in her arms. She parted her dry lips and kissed his cheek, the warmth from him heating her plump lips until they softly tingled.

Draco faced relaxed a little, and his eyes caught hers, watching the watery rivers of fear tremble over her chocolate eyes. He brought his hand up to her cheek, and caressed the soft skin from her ear to her trembling jaw. Her voice stiffened, as her breath hitched in her throat, watching Draco's grey eyes becoming unfocused and pale eyelids fluttering painfully slowly up and down.

Two awefully long hours past, with Katrina caressing his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to keep him safe.

Through a stream of heated tears, her trembling hand pushed away the greasy blonde hair that coated his freezing cold forehead. She could see the veins straining on his temple and neck as the pain engulfed him, desperately trying to find release- any release.

"_Draco..._" she whispered, and leaned forward, and covering her lips with his. She kissed him, savouring the taste of blueberries, fear and Draco that rested on his pouting lips. She left his arm leave her shoulder as he body became limp, his eyes beginning to wobble over hers.

"_Jag älskardig" _He whispered, his breath becoming shaky before stilling, his eyes frozen on the Gryffindor's.

Draco was gone.


	10. Bitter Ends

_**Bitter Ends**_

Katrina was frozen. The warm body in her grip slowly turned a spiteful grey, veins hardened by settling cold blood.

Her eyes were cemented on the corpse's eyes; his still fixed on hers.

Her hands were around his arctic waist; his on her warmed knee.

Her luscious hair was flowing onto his numbed face; his becoming dull and lifeless.

She sat there, breathless, gazing upon the body, fear and shock engulfed her body. Suddenly, a bright white light flashed, glazing over Katrina's sore dry eyes, and the pair were apparated back to Hogwarts, were hundreds of students were joining them from the skies.

The sound of laughter and excitable chatter was masked by a thick sheet of emptiness in Katrina's ears, as any sounds that weren't the possible beat of the Slytherins heart was banished.

The laughter turned to shrieks, and chatter turned to sickened cries.

"Oh Fuck"

"NO!"

"Shit" Seamus ran over through the circle of students around the couple on the floor, and grabbed Katrina's stiff head and pulled her in her arms, " Katrina, what- are you okay? Oh _shit" _he cursed, looking at the greying body. She didn't reply, her face paralyzed by the shock, her dry eyes shaking so fast over the body she couldn't see anymore.

Luna, Cho and Lavender ran over, but Luna stopped, covering her gawping mouth with her pale hands, and shocked tears ran in-between the spaces of her faces.

Cho and Lavender ran over to Katrina, Lavender stunned by the painful image and crying, Cho bit back the tears, checking Katrina's face and asking her the first questions that raced through her mind, but got no response. The Gryffindor sounded like she was choking, her caramel colour draining from under her skin, making her as white as a ghost.

Blaise ripped through the crowd, angry tears flooding down his cheeks. He fell hard on his knees and grabbed Draco's t shirt, his tears coating Draco's dry silver eyes. Pansy stood by the front of the circle, her arms close by her side, with her hands turning into tight fists. She grinded her teeth, forcing her mouth closed, but the tears still fell from her strained purple eyes, with her eyebrows tight and angry.

"Move, I said GET OUT THE WAY!" Professor McGonagall screamed, waving her wand fiercely in the air.

"What on Earth- O- oh M-my Gods" she dropped her wand, and pressed her ageing hands to her shaken lips.

She took off her throw-over and placed it on Katrina's frigid shoulders. The Gryffindor couldn't see, breathe, feel or hear; she could see the people crowding her through gunged eyes, but she didn't register any of it. She could hear cries and gasps but didn't listen. She could feel fingers and hands on her for comfort but it didn't help her; it didn't bring Draco back.

"Call Madam Pomfrey NOW" The Headmistress called, but she was already summoned by the students. She rushed through the crowd, holding her red dress and apron tight in one hand and magical medical equipment in the other.

"OUT OF MY WAY" she called, swinging her dress to one side and sitting down next to the Slytherin. She put a purple stone like object in her ear, and pressed her ear down on Draco's chest. Silence fell.

"Is he breathing?" Professor McGonagall whispered, as Madame Pomfrey rose slowly from the young man's chest, her blue eyes unable to blink, her mouth parted.

"We need to move him" she said, and quickly tried to part Draco from Katrina's tight grip.

"NOOO, NO LEAVE HIM!" she screamed, her tears burning her eyes, her fingertips numb by the pressure applied to Draco's cold skin. Other Professor were called, who tried to restrain Katrina.

"NO, GET OFF, GET OFF ME!" she yelled, kicking and scratching any available skin from the Professors, while the last of Draco was carried away into Hogwarts.


	11. The Speech

Hiya guys!

Yes, I knowww its been a while since ive updated this story, but fear not! I haven't forgotten about it, its just this autumn has been really busy; starting a new college and all that jazz. so sorry for the wait guys, i really appreciate you guys reading and favouriting and all that, ive just been busy doing settling in work. forgive me! :) But the wait is finally over! Here's a short but sweet chapter for Destinys Descent, plenty more to come soon and do not forget to review!

SealedwithaKiss

* * *

**~The Speech**~

The dust floating through the sun kissed air fell upon Katrina's warmed cheeks. She blinked twice, as the golden light twinkled unto her swollen eyes. She sat up within a heartbeat, her head still throbbing with exhaustion, and felt terribly confused at how she ended up in an empty classroom on the third floor. She rubbed her sore eyes, , still stinging from her tears, put on the Gryffindor cloak that was put on her for a cover and jumped down from the table and found a piece of parchment next to her:

_Katrina,_

_Forgive me, but I had no choice but to put a sleeping charm on you, as you were behaving far too hysterical for words. I have left a glass of water, grapes and cheese if you get hungry._

_Kind Regards,_

_Professor M_

Katrina, pressing her dry palm to her left temple, inhaled deeply before kicking the glass of water across the room. She pushed her body off the table she was put across and stormed out of the room to begin her long walk down the familiar cold corridor. Her walk turned into a jog, which mirrored Katrina's racing mind; _what happened? Where's Draco? Is he still Alive?_

Her weak heart felt like in was in her mouth, and she could hear her heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears, as her mind tormented her with her troubling questions.

After reaching the ground floor, her jog transformed into a sprint as she raced down the narrow stone corridor to the crowded Hospital Wing.

"Katrina" Cho called, her eyebrows tense and cold as she raced towards the curious Gryffindor.

The raven blanked out any sounds that wasn't her heartbeat, and marched straight passed her.

"Katrina, Ka- Please!" Cho cried, grabbing the fast moving black fabric hanging from Katrina's elbow. She tried to push Cho off her, wildly flapping her arms in the air for release.

"NO! LEAVE ME!" Katrina cried, pushing Cho firmly in the collar bone, until she finally let go, letting Katrina race past a crowd of mourning Slytherin students and Professors outside the Intesive Care section of the Hospital Wing.

Professor McGonnagall, clutching her fox throw in withered hands tightly in a anxiety striken state, had to take a double take as she watched the pale black haired students race towards her.

" No, how did- how could you- wake-"

"Excuse me Professor" Katrina said automatically, although it was unclear if she even registered who was speaking to her as her gaze laid firmly on the double oak doors behind her.

"You can't, I-"

"Let me through, now"

"I do not think I- It's wise to-"

"LET ME IN!" she screamed, her voice becoming hoarse and eyes becoming so swollen and glazed that it was like she was looking through a frosted glass. Her screams grew louder, so loud a group of professors formed to surround her, holding down every available limb and piece of clothing to control her jerked movements.

Students started to jump from the floor to try to attempt to calm the struggling Gryffindor down, but nothing worked. She was too determined to break through the panes of frosted glass so she could see.

Loud footsteps were heard smashing against the stone floor from within the Oak doors, and within seconds, the left door burst open by a frantic Madam Promfrey.

"Shh shh quiet now hush" She repeated, grabbing hold of Professor McGonnagalls shoulder to stop trying to restrain a sobbing Katrina on the marbled floor.

" She needs to come in" Madam Promfrey stated quietly, gazing into McGonnagalls eyes with a serious look.

"Let Go" McGonnagall cried, her own tears meeting the tip of her wrinkled chin, as the other Professors picked the Grffindor from the floor until she was standing upright, her gaze fixed on Madams Promfeys face.

" If you may" she said, holding her apron in one hand and using the other to point to the direction of Draco's bed.

The hospital felt colder than ever- beds were left empty, with stains of blood still drenched the off white covers. The room stank of old bandages and the familiar scent of Draco mixed with dried blood and stale fear. The only thing that dominated the room was the far left and corner, which was covered with a royal red curtain- only used in serious injuries. She pushed the hairs from her face, and took her steps slowly in nerves- she didn't know what she was expecting to see. Draco must be stone grey by now, his muscles tightening and hair dull and lifeless like his cold body.

Katrina swallowed hard, trying to push down any burning emotions arising in her shaken body, but nothing past. The walk to his curtain seemed to take forever, and no matter how much she wanted to run to him, she was constantly shielded by a thick glass of nullity and restless fear. She clasped the edge of the thinning velvet around two slender fingers, analysing the texture against her hands to put her mind at rest to prepare herself for whats to come.

She took a deep breath in to study her heartbeat, and drew back the curtain with one quick pull.

He looked worse than she could ever imagine. She imagined a dead body, lying flat on the corpses back with the thin sheets covering the second half of its body; but it was far worse. He looked like he'd gained at least twenty years on his face; hallowing cheeks and an expressionless look on her face. His eyes were closed, hidden beneath his greying eyelids and gunged eyelashes. His hair as pushed back to the right of his face; a result of Madam Promfrey trying to remove his hair from his eyes to examine his face and heartbeat, unaware of his already hardening arteries.

He laid down stiff, just like he did back in the house ,as if he was to wake up at any time; but she knew this wasn't to happen. Ever again.

She moaned deeply like that of a wounded animal, frightened and confused, and walked over to his bedside to the Slytherin to pay her respects.

She searched with bewildered eyes at the icy cold statue of what was once Draco; a beautiful person with an aggressive yet enchanting aura that captivated her heart from the very beginning.

"ello little babe" she managed to croak out, clutching the end of his bed linen in her hands and fiddling with a loose thread.

"we made it. We got out. Away from that horrible place" her nose burned with emotions, " everythings okay now, just like I promised"

She looked down at the outline of Dracos legs covered by the bed linen, concentrating so hard she wished one of them had moved.

"I hope you're- you're somewhere nice. Nice, warm, pleasant. Well looked after" she babbled, her lip quivering, "maybe you could teach the other people how to create potions like in your potions set?"

She clutched the bed linen tighter, her knuckles becoming white with pressure. The Raven glanced upon Draco's face; but her eyes glossed over with shaken tears.

"Draco, there is so much I wanted you to hear; to understand. The fact is, I can't stand being apart from you. When you're away, my body overflows with anxiety, I feel you are there to guide me. I know, It's… strange I..I can't honestly explain it. You fill me with sensations I cannot begin to understand without you guiding them. I get nervous when you're near me, but in the most pleasurable way. So when I saw you- saw you distressed like that night over the balcony-it killed a part of me. A part of me went with you when you pushed yourself over the balcony. Seeing you cry like a child in my arms; it was truly heart breaking. I don't understand it, nothing at all, but one thing I understand is I'm in love with you"

Floods of tears raced down the ravens face as she brushed away the last few strands of hair resting on the tip of his compiled eyelashes.

She stroked lightly the tips of his finger nails, and sat next to his bed for the next couple of hours before she felt the need to go.

"Rest in peace, Draco" she whispered, running her fingertips along his neck to the tip of his collarbone, tracing the hard bumps of his necklace.

She leaned over and cowered her mouth over his, before finally kissing him, latching his bottom lip inbetween her lips.

After a while, she stood up, wiped the tears from her neck and walked out of the curtained area.

A short but loud gasp was heard moments later, coming from the direction she just walked from.

" Oh My- Madame Wenders, come quick" Madame Promfrey exclaimed, running over to the red velvet certain, " I can nt believe it!"


	12. I'm Wide Awake: The Order

Author's Note: I know, I know. I've been away for a long, long time. College and illness took up all of my time, but I'm back! And ready to kick start this story into action once again. Thank you to everyone who's liked this story, I'm back for good!

* * *

**I'm Wide Awake: The Order**

Words could not explain the feeling that almost stopped her heart from beating. Katrina froze, staring blankly at the red velvet curtains that had been re-opened by Madame Wenders and the rest of the medical team rushing around Draco. Time stood still for her, as sounds of emergency sirens where escaping around her, and various potions and needles flew through the air. She heard faint noises of the nurses shouting at each other to 'pass this' and 'pass that', but the sound of shock clouded her hearing exactly what was said. She felt two strong arms grab her from behind and pull her away from the Hospital Wing. She felt like she should have protested, but the shock of what she thought she heard escaping from Draco's mouth was overrunning full capacity of her mind. Cho and Lavender dragged her out of the Wing, then was met by a shaken Professor McGonagall and felt her nail accidently dig into her icy skin, in a desperate attempt to keep her restrained. The witch swung her wand high over the Raven beauties eyes and felt a warm heavy blanket of sleep overcome her body, calming her instantly and forcing her into a deep sleep.

**Two Weeks Later**

The sunlight hit against the window, letting thin slivers of light through the cream curtains. Katrina breathed deeply, feeling the warmth of the morning air enter her nostrils and fill her lungs with heavenly life. She twitched, which allowed her to realise she was in bed, and seemingly had been for a while, judging by the effort she had to make just to wiggle her toes. She opened one eye slowly, feeling the unfamiliar sting of the suns rise enter her hazelnut eyes.

She glanced across the room, trying desperately to recognise her surroundings. There was nothing particularly unpleasant about the room; the cream coloured walls and photo frames of black and white photos trellised the walls, and white flowers and cards addressed to Katrina should have been reassuring; but it was not. Katrina had no idea where she was. The witch gasped and sat up quickly, too quickly in fact, as she wasn't ready for her brain to race with a million thoughts which didn't even make sense. Her heart beat pounded through her chest, and her caramel skin became a home to tiny sweaty droplets of anxiety. She pulled her hair in confusion, before kicking back her duvet and-

"Oh, Katrina? You're finally up, how lovely!" A curly haired witch whispered excitedly, carrying a tray loaded with a pot of camomile tea, Wellaberry jam and enough homemade biscuits to feed a small army, before putting them down against the bed side cabinet.

Katrina stared at this woman at what seemed like a lifetime, trying desperately to find any familiarity in her face. She found her quite friendly looking with a face dusted with freckles by her cheeks, and a smile that made her blue and green eyes crinkle in delight. She wore a jumper and skirt that looked like a patchwork quilt, and wore a purple knitted hat above her ginger curls.

Seeing the distressed look on Katrina's face, the kind witch sat down on the edge of the bed and looked into the beauties eyes. "Not to worry my dear" She placed her married hand over the top of the duvet, "You're in a safe place now love. I'll explain everything later on, just as soon as you have a spot of breakfast".

Katrina, still not knowing this woman at all, felt at ease by her natural kind nature and maternal instinct. She saw similarities in herself that she used to fend for Dra-  
"_Draco_" She murmured, but only her lips moved with no sound coming out.

Katrina tried so hard to think about where she was and why she was there. She thought about what day it was and- had she slept through a whole two weeks? What day was it? Why wasn't she at Hogwarts? What happened that night by the Balcony? And, most importantly, where is Draco buried? The thoughts raced through her head, forcing her brain to swell and hit her temples, making her wince in pain. The plump woman, folding her arms loosely on her lap, fiddled with the woolly stitching on the end of her old hand-me-down jumper.

"Right" she smiled, her emerald gaze darting around the room, "Time for you to get dressed! I've brought you some clothes, forgive me if there too big" She waltz towards to dresser to take out a pair of old blue jeans and a baggy woolly jumper. "You looked around the same size of my youngest, but I've made some alterations to make it a wee bit smaller for you" She chimed, placing the clothes on the end of the bed, smiling. " Just meet me down in the kitchen once you're done, you'll see me as soon as you walk down the stairs"  
Katrina, feeling the blood pumping furiously at her brain, gave this odd lady a profound confused face, before mouthing a couple of words.

"Molly" The woman exclaimed, heading for the pine door with leave patterning the sides, " Molly Weasley dear. You're Safe here." With a thud, she closed the door, forcing dust to fall to the wooden ground in a heavy mound.

Katrina stared at the clothes at what seemed like a lifetime. Finally, her brain forbids her to ask any more questions and just do as she was told. Nothing had made sense since she started Hogwarts, why should she think this was any different?

She grabbed the hem of her unfamiliar cotton night dress and lifted it off her fragile body. As soon as it reached the top of her head, she felt her vision blurring and stumbled back onto the soft mattress. She waited for the cloud to pass, and caught sight of her legs. She stared at them, watching her caramel flesh grab onto her bones. Her skin had lost its shine, and running a finger over her thigh felt like sandpaper. She felt a tear escaping the left corner of her eye, not through sadness but utter weakness. She grabbed the waistband of the jeans and slid them over her thin legs, watching her stomach contract as she fastened the button over her lacy underwear. She sighed, rubbing the strain in her neck slowly in order to restore any energy she had left, and felt the smooth bumps of warmed metal around it. She followed the metal with the tip of her slender finger, until she reached the middle of her chest. She lifted the heavy pendant for between her smaller breasts, and felt the rough edges of the ruby stone nestled in the metal frame. She held tightly onto it like a toddler latching onto her mother's stocking covered calf, hoping and praying that everything was going to start to make sense sooner rather than later.

She closed her eyes, forcing a familiar darkness to fall upon her vision. She inhaled deeply, catching scents of magnolia and vanilla deep within her lungs. She opened, and stood up slowly to walk over to the beautiful display of flowers nestled in a clear crystal bowl. She touched a smooth petal and brought her nose to it, when she heard the faint sounds of giggling.

Next to the flowers was a group of cards, some with pictures of Cho and Lavender spelling 'Get Well Soon' in their cauldrons, and others with glittered purple stars on it and mud stains, clearly from Luna and Neville. But one in the corner caught her eye almost immediately. It wasn't anything special, nor did it hardly look like a card, more like a piece of card that was found at the bottom of a classroom drawer. With a delicate touch, she lifted the card and turned it around, squinted her eyes to see 'Get Well Soon, Little B-"

"KNOCK KNOCK!" A little grey creature stood before Katrina, causing her to drop the card and jump in shock.

"No need to jump Madame" He croaked, pointing his long nose in the air "I am to ask if you need any assistance?"

_**What the hell is happening?**_

She shook her head wildly, thoroughly questioning herself if this was all just a dream, and she did not just see an old wrinkled house elf waiting by the door.

The elf nodded, and walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

She stared at the door infront of her, feeling the lump in her throat growing bigger after each failed gulp. She grabbed the handle and twisted three times, as her hands where too sweaty to open all at once. After a deep breath, she flung open the door, to be greeted with the faint sounds of men laughing and people talking about politics and Mikey Skeeter. She smelt fried eggs and toast and the melting butter caressed her nostrils. The smell was so inviting that she grabbed hold on the dark conker coloured banister and walked down the swirling staircase, and the light of the kitchen grew bigger and brighter.

The group of adults around the table laughed and exchanged funny stories of their travels. One was leaning back on a chair, tossing fried eggs in the air and catching them with an open mouth. Another had his head buried deep in a newspaper, and the only give away to what he looked like was two pointy black shoes that rested on the table as he leaned back on his chair to enjoy the morning paper. A few others were drinking hognouts and talking loudly about things Katrina didn't understand but sounded quite important nevertheless. She stared at the long cracking table, which was filled with bowls of grapes and dragon fruit and piles of toast, butter and bacon, with a fat hairy hat playing with the soap bubbles coming from the sink just behind the table. Katrina, brushing long black hairs from her eyes, bit her lip and looked at the plump lady she met moments earlier, as she smiled and fried a dozen more eggs in the biggest frying pan she'd ever seen. She fumbled with her sleeves and pulled them down below her finger tips, and looked at her feet, when all at once, she was knocked clean off her feet by two massive bodies slamming into her tiny frame.

They pair stopped laughing and quickly grabbed the stunned beauty just before her head hit the dusty wooden floor. She opened her eyes slowly to see two ridiculously tall but handsome ginger teenagers before her, smiling in unison. "Alright there lovely?" They chimed, lifting her body from the ground, narrowly missing two spinning unicorn fireworks that zoomed through the air.

Everyone around the table what they were doing and looked at Katrina, causing a fried egg to hit the floor instead of the strangers mouth.

"Ah, At Last!" Molly squealed, throwing a tea towel over her shoulder "Welcome! Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix"


	13. I'm Wide Awake: Heartbeat

**I'm Wide Awake: Heartbeat**

**Hey guys! Here's the next installment of this lengthy tale. How do you like it so far? Please review to let me know how you think the story will go!**

* * *

Snape slammed his body angrily into his bookcase, sliding his tall frame to the floor, causing years old dust to fall on his greasy scalp. He felt sorrow flow into his veins for the first time visibly in years. He banged his head against the bookcase and sighed, feeling a round object drop out of his deep pockets. He heard it roll away, and turned his long face slowly in its direction. Whispers of clouds swirled within the ball as it stopped rolling by the brown leather arm chair. He swore at Lucius in his head, distraught at what he made him do just so he wont receive the Kiss. Snape knew exactly what Lucius wanted him to do, but it was too risky, too- too _stupid._ He had to decide what to do, and quick.

* * *

"Eggs?"

Mrs Wealsey placed a plate on the end of the table, hovering two big fried eggs over it for Katrina to accept. " Er", Katrina began, beginning to get frustrated at this confusing situation " No, Thank you". "Oh love you must eat, its been two weeks since you've had a proper meal" She put the eggs on her plate, and scattered a few rashers of bacon next to it, " Toast? Butter? M-" "Molly Leave her be!" chimed another, sweetly kissing Molly on the forehead before shaking hands with a perplexed Katrina. " Arthur Weasley, Miss Mongroe" he smiled, before sitting down and shaking hands with a wizard and taking a gulp of coffee, " What's the news?"

"Weldon Fluginberé has received no update on the current situation and no sight of the object in question" A Wizard began, tapping his cup of Hognouts and coffee. " But we are expecting updates from Owl Mail within the hour, if all goes to plan"  
"Excellent" Arthur smiled, chewing on a piece of toast, " Thelda?"  
" Nothing at all" she said, flicking yet another egg into the air, this time it was incinerated by her pet dragon mid air, " Fredwin was hexed when he was spotted and is currently in Hospital being treated with flood wounds"

The rest of the Wizarding gang continued to talk amongst themselves, leaving a angered Katrina to explode. " JUST SHUT UP EVERYONE" She shouted, causing everyone to freeze and the dragon to hide back in Theldas pocket. Katrina felt anger race through her blood, like never before and clenched her fists tightly. " I have no idea where the fuck I am. I have no idea who you people are. I have no idea what happened at Hogwarts and why I'm not there now" She spat, glaring at the table, " So, please, someone give me some answers right now or I'll scream"

Molly and Arthur stared at each other blankly, and the other Wizards just stared at their cup, apart from the stranger behind the newspaper who continued tor read like nothing had happened, and Thelda quickly took her legs off the table.

" Here, gorgeous" Thelda stood up, her short brown hair spiking all over the place, and wore a dark emerald suit like a Wizard Peter Pan, " sit here, I'm gonna check on the other guest anyways" She grabbed a piece of toast and held it in her mouth before walking towards the other room, " Explain to her will ya" she glanced towards Molly, who said down beside Arthur.

The rest of the Wizarding group left with a puff of smoke to give them some privacy. Katrina sat down at the table, bathing in the cold silence, with only the ticking of a cat tail clock above.

"I know everything seems unfamiliar at the moment dear, and, to be frank, everything has happened so quickly that even we have to ajust" Arthur placed a hand on Mollys shoulder for support.

" Something happened during the Hogwarts Ball. Something, quite strange. No matter what Mikey Skeeter says in the Daily prophet, we know exactly who did it" Katrina was met by a fluffly ginger cat, who purred its way onto her lap. Katrina felt the words shes been longing to hear echo through her body, and calmed down enough to speak again. " You know? W-what happened?"  
Molly gulped deeply. "Well-"

"Dementors" Arthur interrupted, squeezing Mollys hand, " Dementors who was summoned by dark Wizards broke their way through Hogwarts to search for… something" Katrina, feeling a lot better now that she was beginning to get answers, began to slowly butter toast as she was starving. " Searching for what?"  
"For you, Katrina"

She froze, and dropped the silver knife on the table, causing such a loud bang that the cat jumped and ran out through the window. " For me…w-why.. me?" She pushed away her food, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore.

"We'll get to that I promise" He looked at Molly, who smiled forcefully to comfort her husband, " So after that, all students were transported to protection houses across the Nation. But you, oddly, were transported somewhere we just couldn't locate. Which was terrifying for us, as your safety is most important to us" Katrina blinked and swallowed, feeling the loose pieces joining together. " Why was I transported somewhere different?"

"We don't know" Molly began, finding her strength once again. " But we do know it wasn't fit for you. Luckily your powers were strong enough and you were able to help yourself and Draco-" she looked into her husbands green eyes, "and then McGonagall told us that you were suffering from exhaustion and we took you in, this is our house you're in right now, The Burrow"

" Wait" she stopped, running her slender fingers through her midnight locks " Why is it me that you have to protect? I mean, whats so special about me?"  
Arthur paused, thinking of the right way to say his thoughts.

" Have you ever wondered why you don't need a wand?"

Katrina's body convulsed. How on earth did he know this? This was a secret that only her mother and Melissa knew. Ever since she was a little girl, she was told the importance of keeping her secret, well, a secret. It was because it was unusual for a child to have such advanced powers that only advanced wizards can achieve, but even so, this power is not as strong as those who are born with the natural talent.

"Yes" she said softly, feeling years of questioning lift from her body. "It's all to do with your blood, Katrina" he began, filling her plate with more hot crispy bacon for her to eat, " You get the talent from your father"

Katrina's head began to fill with flashbacks of herself hiding behind doors, as her mother greeted new boyfriends. She always hoped her mother would find love again, and be happy with a lovely gentle-wizard. These flashbacks were jinxed with questions of where her own father was, or who he was.

" My father?"  
"Yes" Arthur Wealsey continued, leaning forward slightly," You're from a very special line of Wizard. A very ancient line at that"

"Dear" Molly Weasley interrupted, " There is a reason why you can't use a wand…"

Katrina, who couldn't hear anything but the word 'Draco' in her head, began picturing his profound jaw , the way he cuddled into her arms when they were stranded in that old house, and, most horrifyingly, the way he looked as he began to die.

" This is all too much for me right now" She stood up quickly, but fell just as quick on the floor, due to her small exhausted frame. " Katrina dear!" Arthur Wealsey kicked back his chair and picked up the small girl, startled by her bony grip onto his arm. "Please, Eat, and take some replenishment potion afterwards, you should feel a lot better then"

* * *

Snape cradled the ball in his masculine grip. He began whispering words softly into it, but stopped half way due to utter fear. Snape knew what he must do, but to endanger Draco's life is something he couldn't bring himself to do. Snape began to cradle once more, and softly murmur the words: "_ I must, I mustn't, I must.._"

* * *

After a couple of hours and a whole plate of bacon, Katrina felt a lot better. She picked up the green bottle of replenishment potion in her hand, and gulped down the peppermint thick mixture. She felt her body suddenly feel like she'd had the most amazing sleep and all of her pains slowly disappeared. She opened the French style wardrobe doors, tracing the leaf patterns with her cold fingers, and bit her lip as she tried to find something to wear.

All of the clothes in there was clearly Ginny's, as the amount of cat hair and miss- matched clothing was something Katrina would never wear. Getting increasingly impatient, she closed her eyes and grabbed the nearest top she could feel, and quickly changed into it. She opened her eyes, and watched the tiny white vest cling to her body, pushing up her chest and showing off her stomach and curvy hips.

She slipped on some blue and purple Bohemian trousers and grabbed the nearest book, which was a healing spells book, as it was placed next to the potion she drank, and began making her way outdoors.

Opening the back doors, she felt so free. She grabbed an apple from a nearby tree and walked towards the end of the garden, which was filled with tall evergreen trees and bushes. This area reminded Katrina of Luna's 'Love Shack', so she gravitated towards this area. She walked further and further in, crunching sticks underneath her bare feet and was serenaded by the sweet hums of the morning birds, when she noticed a light. Katrina felt her curiosity growing, and crept towards this mysterious glowing area. She brushed aside a branch, when suddenly her heartbeat dropped followed by her apple, as she gazed deep inside the eyes of the resurrection boy; Draco.


	14. Who you Love

Who you Love

Katrina, half thinking she was still under a sleeping spell, froze on the spot, looking deep into Draco's eyes. He returned the favour, and gulped twice nervously, which only the Raven beauty put upon him.

A single tear fell to her rosy cheek, and her mouth opened and closed but no words escaped. Draco smiled nervously, feeling his skin moistening underneath his clothes, and, simultaneously, shook his head and raised his shoulder, as if to say ' I have no idea what to say either'.

Katrina whole heartedly believed Draco died that night at the shack, what happened at the Hospital Wing was a dream, and that she was sent to Molly as Katrina couldn't contain her emotions. She felt her brown eyes burn under the intense eye contact they were holding, and couldn't help but admire how damn good he looked, standing there, in the middle of a forest, with no shoes on, and an opened white shirt.

She admired how healthy he looked, and his eyes changed from grey to baby blue in a matter of seconds. He had his hair trimmed nicely, his moon hair fringe still covering his eyes. His shoulders were broader, stomach was toned and chest was more defined, which was unsurprising seeing as he had been staying with Molly Weasley, who always makes sure her guests are well fed.

Draco, his memory and brain now restored, couldn't even understand this unusual feeling he had at the bottom of his stomach for this girl. He stared at her so hard the memories came flooding back, of how she helped him remember little details of life, how she made him laugh just to make him happy, how she fed him, and, overall, how she kept him alive. He thought these sort of people only existed in books; people who have kindness in every nerve, and had unconditional love no matter if he deserved it or not. He knew he didn't from the way he has acted with the beauty, but he had learnt from an early age that being defensive was the only way to deal with difficult situations. One thing's for sure, he knew Katrina had begun to melt this part away from him. He knew she cracked a wall within his chest he didn't even know was built, but knew only Katrina had the right hammer to knock it to dust. And now, here she is, standing meters away from him, and all he can do is raise a shoulder. Draco knew she deserved more than that.

He stared intensely into her eyes, soaking up every emotion she laid bare on her skin. He tried really hard to string a sentence together.

"H-heh-" Draco mumbled, before his mouth betrayed him and dried completely.

The Raven, somewhat unreadable at this moment, never took her eyes of him; she scanned his body from head to toe, the memories flooding back to her like a boat hitting the shore, just to make sure this was real. She was numb, but comfortably so. It wasn't the black cloud of depression that had haunted her shadow up until now, but it was the type of numb that forced Katrina into shock of the best kind.

All concept of time had stopped, and nothing else mattered apart from herself and Draco. Katrina didn't care about the questions that swarmed her head only a moment ago, be it asking why she was at a strangers house or what the Dementors wanted with her. At the same time, Draco didn't care why he was here instead of being sent to his parents' house, or why he wasn't dead. The pair were so emerged in the moment that it seemed to last a lifetime.

Her breathing began to harden, and Draco could hear this even from the distance they were standing, and was shocked she was doing this as Draco was doing the same. His pants became louder with nervousness, even though he once thought he was very confident man, but Katrina could bring him to his knees.

Katrina, her face screwed tightly with determination, watched Draco's chest rise and fall with nervous heartbeats as she half jogged towards him.

"S-so do y-" He said shakily, watching her breasts jiggle as she walked towards him with her broad hips.

Draco felt his body throbbing as she began to race towards him, and his heart was thumping so loud he could feel it in his temples. Katrina, feeling the full force of the wind behind her, felt her knees almost buckle as she picked up the pace. Draco licked his lips without even thinking about it, and parted them ever so slightly and stared at her plump mouth.

At the speed she was going at, Draco only had time to open his strong pale arms before the beauty pushed her body into his, grabbed him by the nape of the neck and pulled his pink lips onto hers.

The adrenaline rush that came in to their hearts forced them to inhale deeply through their noses.

Katrina clawed at his neck, and felt Draco's hands squeeze her behind with a territorial grip and lifted her so her legs swung around his back. They both let out a quiet pant and Draco fell back into a tree, and felt the leaves fall onto their hot skin. Draco slid his tongue into her mouth, while Katrina pushed her hands underneath his shirt and clawed at his muscles. They moved their hands so much over each other's body, as if they needed to know every contour of each other's body within the minute.

He kissed her down the neck and, wanting to keep quiet, she bit his shoulder and tasted his scent on her tongue. They were both so full of passion, care and longing for one another that no one else could even compare, be it Seamus or Pansy.

He took her to the ground, his manly hands placed protectively over her head and waist, and kissed her so hard like he has never known before. She pressed his hips close to hers, feeling the heat building up between them, and he kissed her chest that was forcing its way out of her top. Katrina, as if playing battle of Dominance, pushed him back into a tree and felt as Draco pulled her onto his lap, his hands grabbing and tearing the back of her top.

The grass beneath laid flat as the pair rolled around, releasing noises of pleasure after each tender kiss. After what seemed to be hours of grabbing, kissing, stroking and pulling, they parted lips, resting their foreheads against each other's, and released their pants heavily with eyes comfortably shut.

He held her like this, on his lap, and felt an overwhelming sense of protection come over him, as well as another fuzzy emotion he could not explain, nor knew what it was called. Whatever it was, he liked it. He liked it a lot.

She brushed her long hair over her left shoulder, and kissed the tip of his nose. He softly smiled, something Katrina hadn't seen in a while, but even though it was small, it was enough to fill her heart with joy.

They stayed there, softly inhaling and exhaling each other's breaths, feeling the wind push their bodies even closer together. No words, questions, or person would be loud enough to spoil this moment; not even a Dementor.


End file.
